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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23188867">The Unrelenting Templar</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Child_of_Azeroth/pseuds/Child_of_Azeroth'>Child_of_Azeroth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Templar [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft (Comics), World of Warcraft - Various Authors</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Action &amp; Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure &amp; Romance, Drama &amp; Romance, F/M, Interspecies Romance, Post-World of Warcraft: Legion, Warcraft Lore, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Spoilers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 05:53:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>196,470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23188867</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Child_of_Azeroth/pseuds/Child_of_Azeroth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Scourge has been defeated; The Earthbreaker has fallen; The Burning Legion have ceased their march of terror…<br/>And yet Azeroth cries out in pain.<br/>Desperate to save her world from doom – Tieria attempts to discover more about the Dragon Aspects’ history and their Titan-given powers, which could restore Azeroth. As the whispers of an Old God begin shackling the holy templar - her search brings her directly into the claws of the last black dragon, who believes that the Titans' mandate to protect Azeroth now falls to him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>N'Zoth/Wrathion (Warcraft), Wrathion (Warcraft)/Original Character(s), Wrathion (Warcraft)/Original Female Character(s), Wrathion (Warcraft)/Other(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Templar [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Some small warnings which I believe must be mentioned:<br/>• This is a fanfiction (duh), hence, strong canon-altering segments may appear. Specifically regarding Warlords of Draenor and Battle for Azeroth expansions.<br/>• English is not my native language, and I am dyslexic - so I apologize ahead for the grammatical mistakes you might encounter.</p><p> I hope you'll find this story to your liking! ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I heard the war was over." Stated Lady Alanna Swiftbook, as she gazed down at her baby boy, who slept in her arms. "Apparently one of those colossal green beasts sacrificed himself to prevent a large battle from erupting." She turned away from her toddler, to gaze at the paladin who was seated across from her in the carriage. The templar's expression displayed disorientation at Alanna's sentence. "You know of whom I am talking about;" continued the Kul'Tiran woman. "Those ugly mongrels with tusks coming out of their mouths."</p><p>Tieria frowned her eyebrows, attempting to untangle Alanna's words. Kul'tirans had a strong accent, which she had trouble understanding; especially given how it was one of the few times she was talking to a person from the south seas.</p><p>"An orc?" Tieria replied with uncertainty – there are various races on Azeroth who could also fall into the category of <em>'green beasts with tusks coming out of their mouths'</em> – but only few of them were involved in the recent war.<br/>"Precisely." Said Alanna as she curled her lips into a smile.</p><p>Tieria did not pursue the conversation. She leaned back into the seat, and gazed upon the hills and mountains of the Tiragarde Sound. The breathtaking nature that the paladin witnessed through the window of the carriage has certainly given her a good first impression of Kul'Tiras.</p><p>"Doesn't that make you happy?" Alanna inquired. "Kul'Tiras is part of the Alliance once again, and there is no war for you to fight anymore."<br/>"I do not serve the Alliance." Stated Tieria calmly yet coldly, while continuing to look out of the window. "My order does not involve itself into the affairs of either the Alliance nor the Horde; our purpose is to bring justice on Azeroth regardless of the races' origin."</p><p>Alanna pressed her lips together and exchanged looks with her daughter Valena, who was sitting by her mother's side. It seemed that both women felt lost as to how to pursue the conversation with their mainlander guest.<br/>Tieria assumed that she made the women feel intimidated. Traveling on ship from Eastern Kingdoms to Kul'Tiras was an overlong and exhausting journey; especially since Tieria loathed traveling on water. Days of consistent sailing made her seasick and affected her mood; thus, she replied to her hosts in a cold and plain manner, not even forming a modest smile on her lips.</p><p>Nonetheless, as she rode in the carriage, the paladin hoped that the entire trip would be worth the trouble.</p><p>After months of searching – Tieria has succeeded to unravel that a Kul'Tiran man, by the name of Therold Swiftbook, owned a particular scripture regarding the history of dragons. It was rumored that the sacred book was a study of dragons recorded by none other than Medivh himself, the last Guardian of Tirisfal.<br/>Tieria has decided to reach out to contact the particular Kul'Tiran denizen, and plead to sell her the particular tome. Swiftbook – to her surprise – has agreed to Tieria's offer, despite the paladin omitting to delve into the reason behind her desire to claim the dragon book.</p><p>And so, Tieria hailed to Tiragarde Sound as soon as possible, by sailing from Easter Kingdoms to the Kul'Tiras seas.</p><p>Therold declared in his letter that he lived slightly further from the capital Boralus, in a town named Vigil Hill; and that his wife - Alanna - would greet her at the port of Boralus, to ensure that the templar arrived at their house safely.<br/>Tieria appreciated the man's kind hosting; it filled the templar with a good feeling that the trip will prevail smoothly, and she will return home in no time.</p><p>Alanna's baby suddenly gave out a cough; some of the child's saliva spewed out, and landed on his cheeks and lips. Alanna lifted her right hand to gently wipe away the drool off her child; the long sleeve of her emerald dress slowly slipped itself away from her wrist, revealing the lady's tanned skin.</p><p>Tieria's frown deepened at the sight of a large, ugly bruise upon Alanna's wrist. It looked fresh and ugly; as if she was held down tightly by her wrist; some would say she was even shackled.<br/>In the instant moment that Alanna noticed Tieria's attention on her bruise, the Kul'tiran woman pulled the sleeve of her dress beyond her wrist, covering the injury. She nervously gazed into Tieria's dark brown eyes and gave a polite smile.</p><p>"Mere accident." Explained Alanna the origin of the bruise. "I tripped on some stairs…"<br/>Valena looked up on her mother in silence. The girl, who perhaps was no younger than the age of thirteen, had discomfort displayed on her features upon Alanna's words. Tieria stared coldly at her host without replying; the explanation felt unconvincing. Nonetheless, Tieria had no authority to declare that Alanna was bluffing.</p><p>Suddenly, the carriage has stopped, causing everyone inside in it to lose their balance, and grip to the edge of their seats. Alanna held her toddler tightly, and sighed in relief when she saw that the abrupt commotion did not cause her infant son to wake up. Tieria looked out the window once again, attempting to understand why did the ride cease so suddenly.<br/>"We arrived." Said Valena, causing Tieria to glance at the child. The tone in Valena's voice had no enthusiasm – despite arriving home.</p><p>Valena was the first to get off the carriage, in order to aid her mother to carefully step off the transport as she held her infant sibling. Tieria followed them, exiting the last, carrying only a small dark purple satchel and her longsword.</p><p>The moment Tieria was outside, she took in a deep breath; inhaling the breezes of Kul'Tiras. The salty sea air filling her lungs brought goosebumps on her ivory skin. The paladin felt refreshed by merely breathing the air and feeling the cool mountain winds caressing her dark brown hair. The atmosphere was nothing compared to Eastern Kingdoms, Kul'Tiras feel like an entirely different world.</p><p>The Swiftbook's house was situated further from the town of Vigil Hill, and the carriage rider was kind enough to drop the travelers precisely on the Swiftbook's doorstep. Their house was on a hill, overlooking the port and Daelin's Gate, which was currently under heavy reconstruction after suffering a pirate's attack not too long ago.</p><p>Therold Swiftbook was the owner of some mines from within Tiragarde Sound. And by merely glancing at the exterior of his house, one could tell that the man had a stable wealth. It was a tall building, with the same architecture like every Kul'Tiran building: green or brown tile roofs, large arc-shaped windows and a small wooden porch in front of the main entrance. Despite it having the same design as the other houses, this one seemed in a far better state.</p><p>As Tieria watched Alanna and Valena approach their home, she caught a glimpse of a figure inside the house, looking outside from the front window. Swiftly, the silhouette walked away and opened the large wooden door.<br/>A large man exited and stopped on the porch. He had his silver hair kept in a long, silky ponytail and a smile was seen through his mustache. His clothes were simple, but far more elegant than a mere commoner – his black pants were of fine leather; his red silk shirt was shining from being freshly washed; and his vest was decorated with golden buttons. The man rearranged his glasses on the bridge of his nose before clasping his hands behind his back.</p><p>"So, yer the templar I have been exchanging letters with." Spoke the Kul'Tiran man in a deep voice while looking at Tieria. "Therold Swiftbook, at your service." Bowed the white-haired man, Tieria returned the bow. "I have to admit, you are not what I expected."<br/>Tieria's brows drew together again, but the corner of her lips curved upwards.<br/>"What were you expecting, Sir Swiftbook?" Inquired the paladin politely. He shrugged before giving an answer:<br/>"In many scriptures from Eastern Kingdoms – paladins are described as tall men with bushy beards, silver armor and carrying a large mace. I did not expect a woman twice younger than me, carrying a sword as big as her." Chuckled Therold while motioning with his head towards Tieria's sword which was attached to her back.</p><p>Tieria released a small chuckle as well, unable to find the proper words for a response. Noticing the silence from the paladin's part, Therold waved his arms and gestured at the door.<br/>"Either way, come in, paladin! Welcome to my humble home." Said the Kul'tiran man while pushing the door to its limit, and entering inside. As Tieria approached the porch, she could not help but notice Therold's passiveness towards his wife and children. Neither Alanna nor Valena receive any sort of greeting from her husband; he didn't even offer to aid his wife with the infant.</p><p>The Swiftbook's residence was indeed modest: oaken furniture, cushions made out of linen fabric, and woolen carpets covered the wooden floor. Various sailing items such as anchors, or harpoons were used as decorations. Small statues of sirens were arranged on numerous shelves, and paintings of ships embellished the blue green painted walls.<br/>As Tieria's eyes went around what could only be the 'main' room of the house, she removed her sword and satchel she carried; arranging them by the door.</p><p>Therold immediately signaled the templar to take a seat at the end of the room, right in front of the lit fireplace. In the meantime, Alanna and her daughter retreated upstairs, without exchanging another single word to either Therold or their guest.</p><p>"Is this your first in Kul'Tiras, Lady templar?" Queried Therold, while approaching an oak cabinet situated further from where Tieria was seated.<br/>"It is." She replied warmly and took the liberty to sink into the soft, admiral blue armchair. The paladin watched as Therold proceeded to retrieve a black bottle from one of the shelves, and picked up two small glasses with his free hand.<br/>"Then allow me to welcome you to our land with the finest Kul'Tiran drink." Chuckled Therold as he placed the glasses on the table which was planted between the two armchairs. "Bitter darkroot vodka. Ye can feel it warming your very bones."</p><p>Tieria watched as her host poured the crystal-clear liquid into the glasses, filling them half-full. Then, Therold took a seat in the armchair across from Tieria and picked up a glass. He leaned in to toast his glass with the paladin before nearly chugging off his entire drink. Tieria tasted the beverage; the bitter alcohol was so strong that it made Tieria feel as if someone set her throat on fire.</p><p>She released a small cough and narrowed her eyes; the drink has certainly woken her up after the exhausting trip she has gone through. Nonetheless, after a couple of moments, the burning sensation ceased away and the templar found the vodka's taste to her liking.<br/>Therold chuckled at her reaction, but made no remark. Instead, he wiped away the liquid which remained on his mustache with his right palm, before addressing the matter the templar was here:</p><p>"So, dragons." Began the Kul'Tiran man. "In your letter, you mentioned that you managed to track down that I am the current owner of the scaled tome of dragons."<br/>"Indeed." Nodded Tieria, hoping that Therold did not have the intention of inquiring her about the reason she desired to have the ancient book. So far – few people knew of her plan – and nobody agreed on it.</p><p>"Well, as we agreed upon in our correspondence - you shall have the tome. Frankly, dragons do not interest me as much… They are bunch of flying reptiles." Therold mumbled as took another sip of the drink. "Now, krakens! Those are magnificent creatures!" He paused and gave her a shrug. "Since you desire this tome – you shall have it." Nodded Therold, which made Tieria exhale in relief. She can get the tome immediately and swiftly return home; putting this trip behind her. "But of course, there is a price for knowledge, dear templar. There are some… Difficulties, I have encountered and I require your aid."</p><p>Tieria's forehead furrowed at his sentence, she placed her glass on the table and crossed her legs. She spoke in a cold tone, while attempting to conceal her irritation through polite choice of words:<br/>"Our letters stated that there will be a monetary price of hundred-fifty golden coins. There was never a discussion about me completing your errands for you, dear Sir."<br/>"I am not asking for any errands of mine to be done, Lady templar." Therold replied. He poured himself another glass and took a sip. "Merely a couple of days before your arrival, I was robbed. By some "mercenaries". The tome - among other of my family's personal belongings – was taken."<br/>Tieria remained silent, she brought the glass to her lips and took another sip of the clear liquid.</p><p>"Why would mercenaries rob you?" Asked the paladin, her disappointment was given away by her hardened features. It seemed this trip would not be so smooth after all. "Ordinarily, if you pay them after they complete their job, they take their leave without a single word."<br/>Therold grunted and cursed before replying:<br/>"Pirates." Spat Therold. "Those men, in truth, are pirates. Masking themselves as mercenaries, who pretend to take up a job. I am confident you can take them out with that sword of yours."</p><p>Tieria flinched at Swiftbook's sentence – she loathed the fact that the Kul'tiran thought of her as some brute, who would harm anyone for some pathetic reward.<br/>"I will not attack unprovoked." Stated Tieria. "Not even a thief; at least, not without learning more information."<br/>"They are pirates! What more information do you want? Pirates are the scum of the sea! They deserved to be killed without any warning!" Snapped Therold; his fist hitting the table in anger, causing the glasses and bottle to swing agitatedly. Instinctively, Tieria placed her palm atop her glass to cease it from moving. "Did you not hear that the tome was stolen by them? You have as much reason as I do to chase after those bastards."</p><p>Tieria pressed her lips against each other and plucked away the strands of her hair that began covering her right eyes. Gently, she combed her side bangs with her fingers as she analyzed Therold's words.<br/>She despised the idea of appearing upon a pirate ship and challenging those individuals to combat. Albeit the power of the Light she possessed, could sear even the mightiest tauren to ashes – it was not in her morals to behave in such manner. Pirates may be simple lowly bandits; but as a templar, Tieria was taught to perceive virtue in every soul.</p><p>Nevertheless – the paladin desired the dragon tome – more than anything; and she was ready to go great length in retrieving it.</p><p>Tieria lifted her eyes at Therold and gave a small smile as an idea formed in her mind.<br/>"I say we meet with these pirates first, Sir Swiftbook." Began Tieria; a frown of disagreement immediately appeared on Therold, but the paladin had elected to ignore it. "Surely, we can strike a bargain for them to return your possessions."<br/>Therold grunted and leaned into the armchair. He took a loud sip from the drink before speaking:<br/>"If you want to waste yer breath with them – be my guest. But trust me when I say it is futile. Those men are savages and cannot be reasoned with."</p><p>"Let us meet with these pirates now. I wish to claim the tome as soon as possible." Declared Tieria before chugging whatever was left of her drink. As she felt the alcohol burning in her chest, the templar pushed herself to rise from the comfortable armchair. If she would drink another glass of alcohol while sitting in the particular seat – she would surely be driven into a slumber.<br/>"At least you are straight to business, Lady templar! I like it." Laughed Therold, then he proceeded to yell towards the stairs. "Woman! Get my cloak!"</p><p>Rapid footsteps were heard squeaking on the wooden stairs. Alanna hurried herself on the first floor, and grabbed the velvet cloak which was resting on the coat hanger next to the entry door. Tieria could not help but be aghast by the man's laziness; he called to his wife <em>from upstairs</em>, instead of walking a couple of steps himself.<br/>As Alanna was aiding Therold in putting on his coat - Tieria saw disturbance in the woman's eyes. Alanna's hands were slightly trembling; and she arranged the coat on her husband, with her jaw set in a hard line.</p><p>"I will leave my belongings here." Addressed Tieria to Alanna softly. The paladin gave a smile in hope to appear less intimidating than their initial encounter. Alanna expression relaxed at Tieria and the woman gave a nod.<br/>"I assure you; your items will be safe." She promised to be the templar.<br/>"Make sure the food is ready by the time we are back." Ordered Therold to his wife. Tieria gave a small glare to the man, she disliked the tone he used with his wife. Alas, the paladin bit her tongue; as much as she disliked his attitude – she had no saying in it.</p><p>Silently and with haste, Tieria and Therold took their leave towards the docks.</p><hr/><p>Vigil Hill was not in a great state during the period that Tieria was there. The town suffered a pirate attack a couple of months ago. Many of the buildings, including the large gates that allowed entrance within the city, were under heavy reconstruction.</p><p>Nonetheless, it was crowded with Kul'Tirans, who carried on with their daily lives. Farmers were dragging their animals through the market, carriages were transferring goods from building to building, children were kicking balls around and flying kites. Tieria caught a glimpse of soldiers dressed in the blue and silver armor of Stormwind City, patrolling through the streets. It seemed the Alliance were taking care of their new allies.</p><p>The docks were stationed right down the hill, next to Daelin's Gate. It was approximately twenty to thirty minutes away from the Swiftbook's house.</p><p>As they approached the docks, Therold pointed at a ship with velvet and blue sails. It wasn't as large as Tieria anticipated, but certainly looked well taken care of. Far more presentable than a ship owned by any other mercenary she has encountered, and certainly not as dirty and cursed-appearing as pirates ships tend to be.<br/>Together with Therold, Tieria walked on the plank of wood that connected the ship to the docks. The Swiftbook mine owner was recognized by the sailors – hence they allowed him and his guest to climb on the ship without any sort of identification.</p><p>The crew of the ship was made of various races. From orcs to goblins, dwarves, humans and even saurok. The appearance of each crew member was a clear indication that these people did not belong in any faction or order; Their clothes had the designs that came from various origins, same as their weapons and even the trinkets which decorated their appearance.</p><p>Nonetheless, every piece of attire or weapon that the crew owned, seemed to be recently made or at least well-cleaned. There were no visible cuts, stains or broken pieces; which was odd for pirates – given how they travel weeks on seas and steal whatever they are able to.</p><p>Once Tieria and Therold were on the deck, a tall man approached them with a smirk on his bearded face; his shoulder-length hair was of a black shade, and a portion of it was kept in a high-bun. He wore white linen shirt which was unbuttoned, revealing his well-tanned chest and abdomen. The man's nose was decorated with a golden septum ring and underneath his lower lip, a golden sphere was pierced.</p><p>As soon as he saw Therold, the black-haired man extended his arms widely and laughed:<br/>"Aaah, yer back!" Smirked the man. His manners as well as the 'alpha' attitude, gave away that the human was the captain of the crew. "And you brought someone with you this time! Who are you, sweetheart?"<br/>"I am Tieria." Began the paladin politely. Since Therold disapproved of Tieria's plan of talking to the pirates, he could not help but stare at her bitterly. "And I am here to-"</p><p>"Give back what is mine, Hawke!" interrupted Therold. Tieria rolled her eyes in annoyance and placed her gloved hand on Therold's chest to halt him from approaching the captain any further. Her dark-brown eyes glared at him and he was forced to take a step back.<br/>"I told you to accept your losses, Therold <em>Lossbook</em>." Laughed the captain, his entire crew suddenly joined to laugh at his joke. Tieria narrowed her eyes at the pirate's poor wordplay; it seemed journeying on waters for a long period had dried out their sense of humor.</p><p>Therold stared angrily at Tieria and whispered to her:<br/>"It is futile to even attempt to talk to them – strike them down!" Ordered the man, she first widened her eyes at his bold command, before turning her gaze into a glare.<br/>"I will not do that!" Gritted Tieria between her teeth. "I do not kill without a reason."</p><p>When she realized that the pirates ceased from laughing; the templar tore her attention from Therold to look at Captain Hawke. The dark-haired man's smirk lingered on his lips, as he stood with his muscled arms crossed.</p><p>"I want to settle a deal to have Therold's possessions returned." Addressed Tieria to Captain Hawke once more. The man sized Tieria up and down and gave a shrug.<br/>"We can strike a deal, if you wish…" Agreed the captain in a sly tone. He began approaching Tieria to lean in close to her ear. "Something… <em>Physical</em>, perhaps?" Hawke murmured as he began tracing Tieria's jawline with his finger. Tieria gave out an irritated exhale, and grabbed Hawke's wrist to stop his caressing.<br/>"I am not whoring myself for some goods." Growled Tieria to which the captain pulled away his wrist and shrugged as he walked away from her.<br/>"Then you do not need those things so desperately." He said in a teasing tone, his gaze never ceasing from roaming her body.</p><p>"There must be something you desire." Tieria said, as she kept ignoring Therold's blaring glare and the captain's provocative look. "Something we can exchange."<br/>"Therold <em>knows</em> what we want." Stated Hawke. "But he is too much of a greedy sour puss to give it to us."<br/>Tieria turned to Therold, expecting an explanation from him. Hawke's sentence indicated that the Kul'Tiran man was not robbed as he confessed to be. Therold blue eyes pierced coldly at the captain. Tieria addressed him, but the Kul'Tiran man simply ignored her.<br/>"If you are not going to deal with them, templar – we take our leave." Said Therold hostile. Tieria did not budge; she glanced between Therold and Hawke. Evidently, there was more history between these two than a mere robbery.</p><p>Therold began getting off the ship, leaving Tieria no choice but to follow him. Stranding away from her host would be a foolish idea, especially since she has left her possessions at his house. The templar glanced at Hawke again, who remained with a large grin on his face. Cursing under her breath, Tieria went after Therold while attempting to process what had just occurred.</p><hr/><p>The supper was disturbingly silent due to Therold's foul mood. He was greatly upset at Tieria's for suggesting to bargain with the captain instead of agreeing to his decision. Tieria ignored Therold's glares; she knew in her heart she had taken the correct action.<br/>Dusk was settling in, and it seemed Tieria had to remain in Kul'Tiras a while longer if she desired to gain the dragon scripture. Her task might also become more challenging, since she has enraged her host.</p><p>As the Swiftbook's family and their guest were eating the redtail loach stew with some garlic bread – Alanna has decided to break away the unpleasant stillness by addressing Tieria:</p><p>"You have mentioned that you do not serve the Alliance." Began the Swiftbook wife. "If I may ask… Has it been that way your entire life? Were your parents also not part of the Alliance?"<br/>Tieria took another bite of the bread before answering; it has been a while since she has talked about her family; but nonetheless – she never strayed away from talking of her past.</p><p>"There was barely an Alliance when I grew up. My family is… Was from a small village from the Lordaeron Kingdom, but we were forced to flee after the Scourge's attack. We were stationed at a small refugee camp built by the Silver Hand organization. My father was a blacksmith, thus we remained there – crafting weapons and armor for paladins. Eventually we began building a new life - with the help of the Silver Hand. Not the Alliance." Tieria realized there was a tint of melancholy in her voice; so many things have occurred in her life since then that the paladin felt overwhelmed for a brief moment. "The Silver Hand was suspended shortly after, but those who remained have formed a new order titled the Argent Dawn; an organization focused on protecting Azeroth from agencies that seek to destroy it."</p><p>"Being a part of that order must make you feel very proud." Smiled Alanna; her green eyes shined at Tieria's story, which indicated that the woman desired to hear more of it.<br/>"It feels… <em>Wondrous</em> to be among those soldiers. Especially since we accept individuals from any ranks or who possess any kind of power, unlike the Silver Hand which only took in wielders of the Light" Continued Tieria. "Now, we have titled ourselves the Argent Crusade-."</p><p>A loud grunt was heard from Therold before Tieria could finish her sentence.<br/>"I guess you must accept criminals too.'' He spat, his gaze never leaving his plate. "Might as well have Hawke and his lackeys join your <em>"Crusade''</em>."</p><p>Tieria clenched her jaw; clearly the man was referring to the situation that has occurred earlier.<br/>Therold aggressively pushed away his empty dish and rose from the chair. He glared at Tieria and then simply walked away, without saying any gratitude for the meal or good night. As Therold walked up the stairs, Tieria glanced at Alanna who had her eyes fixated down on her lap.</p><p>Silence persisted for a long while at the table until the sound of a door being smashed loudly, emitted from upstairs. Alanna sighed, she glanced at her daughter who quietly ate her meal, and then at the paladin guest.</p><p>"He desperately wants the robbed possessions returned, doesn't he?" Inquired Tieria before taking another bite from the bread.<br/>"He is lying." Muttered Alanna with a tint of bitterness. She lifted her face towards the paladin, tears were shining in her green eyes. "We weren't robbed. He gambled our possessions to those men. And they are not pirates - they are treasure hunters, voyagers."</p><p>Tieria found herself sitting on the edge of the chair. She leaned in closer to Alanna and attentively listened to the woman's explanation:</p><p>"The mines that Therold owns, have a sealed door at the end of it. So far, nobody has managed to open them. Some form of magic is sealing them" Began Alanna; she talked quietly to avoid being overheard by her husband. "The treasure hunters arrived a week ago, declaring that they knew about the sealed door long before Therold bought the mines; and they claim that they have just returned with certain resources that would allow for those gates to be opened."</p><p>As Tieria listened to Alanna, it became clear to the paladin why Therold was in such a hurry to leave the ship. He was afraid Tieria would refuse to aid him if she learnt the truth behind his "robbery".</p><p>"Therold did not permit the treasure hunters to enter the mine." Continued the Kul'tiran woman. "He desired to possess whatever is behind that sealed door." She paused to release another sigh; color was draining away from her face as she continued to tell the tale: "One night, Therold… After too much alcohol… Began gambling with the treasure hunters; vowing that if they win – they can enter the mines. He did not gamble with money however, but the valuable items which we possess: decorative weapons, ancient books, rare paintings…"</p><p>"Grandmother's golden locket." Added Valena, who had completely sunk in her chair and was swirling the spoon in her soup. Alanna swallowed and nodded, she reached out to her neck where the necklace once sat on.<br/>"Even after losing the gamble, Therold did not permit the voyagers to enter the mines. He even hired mercenaries to stand guard at the entrance." Alanna untied her braid, allowing her golden hair to rest freely as she began combing it with her fingers. "He did not listen to me when I begged him to leave those treasure hunters to have whatever is inside the mines. Instead, he yelled at me and called my unfaithful."</p><p>"He has done worst things." Valena mumbled. Her sentence made Alanna scold her daughter.<br/>Once again, Tieria found herself staring at Alanna's bruise. She leaned in closer to the Kul'Tiran woman and spoke in whisper:<br/>"This man obviously does not treat you well; why are you lingering here? Take your children and leave him." Alanna shook her head and wiped away her tears. She reached out to her wrist and gently wrapped her hand around it.</p><p>"I do not want my children to grow up without a father like I did." She exhaled softly.<br/>"I would rather have no father, than be related to a man that behaves like a rabid canine." Tieria replied while gazing at Alanna's wounded wrist.<br/>The templar had a suspicion that there was turbulence among the Swiftbooks by only witnessing a few interactions between them. Although she had no reason to involve herself in this affair, Alanna's distress and unhappiness was far too visible to simply ignore it.</p><p>Silent persisted at the dinner table. Eventually, Alanna rose from the table and began collecting the empty dishes. Pretending as if the conversation between her and the paladin never occurred.<br/>"You have choices, Alanna." Tieria continued to insist; she spoke in a hushed tone, so words could not be overheard by Therold. Alanna froze at the paladin's sentence.<br/>"You seem like a capable woman, Lady Tieria." Stated Alanna. "Therold does not possess that tome, so he is no use to you. Bargain with those treasure hunters as you see fit and return to Eastern Kingdoms. You do not need to trouble yourself with us."</p><hr/><p>The next day, Tieria awoken at the first light. She slept poorly that night due to the infant's continual crying. But also, because her conversation with Alanna during supper made the paladin overthink her plan.</p><p>She stood on the porch that morning. Her hair was combed in a high ponytail as she always preferred to style it, and she wore matt-gold and white armor which consisted of a long kilt and a chest piece which covered only half of her torso, leaving her abdomen exposed. Some found her armor impractical, but Tieria has always found her attire comfortable for both battles and traveling.</p><p>There were other races on Azeroth who would fight even in more exposed skin.</p><p>As the templar rested her stomach against the edge of the fence, she began removing the dry herb out of the pipe to make space for the fresh ones. Once the pipe was emptied, she placed a small dosage of tobacco and some strong odor plants into the chamber of the pipe and lit it with matches. The scent of dried out herbs began encircling her. Tieria inhaled deeply from within the pipe, savoring the smoke.</p><p>Footsteps were heard coming from the door, they were light which gave a clear indication who was approaching her. Tieria turned to see Valena staring at her. The blonde child's face was pale, displaying restlessness as well.</p><p>"Good morning." Greeted Tieria warmly. She held the pipe away from the child, to avoid the bitter smoke from engulfing Valena. The Swiftbook daughter greeted Tieria with a small smile and approached her to stand by the fence. Noticing the silence, Tieria theorized Valena must be shy to talk. Hence, the paladin decided to pursue the conversation in hope to soften the young girl. "Did you sleep well?"</p><p>Valena gave a short shrug.<br/>"I only slept a little." She replied quietly. As Valena started emptily at the view of the mountains in front of her – Tieria inhaled again from her pipe.<br/>"It may not be none of my concern…" Began Tieria as she blew smoke out of her pink lips. "I can see something is troubling you, Valena."</p><p>Valena pulled a couple of her golden hair strands behind her left ear, keeping her eyes down. She pressed her lips against each other. It was clear she was hesitating from speaking. However, Tieria did not push. She remained quiet, smoking her pipe until Valena gathered the courage to speak.</p><p>"I read in a book that the Light aids those in need." Began Valena as she lifted her eyes at Tieria. "Do you wield <em>that</em> Light?"<br/>"There is only <em>one</em> Light, Valena." Corrected Tieria gently. "And yes, I do – as many other paladins and priests do. Why do you ask?"<br/>"Because I have been praying to it every night." Stated Valena with melancholy in her voice. "For it to help me and mama. For something good to happen to us… For things with dada to be better. But now I wonder if I need to become a paladin if I want it to help me."</p><p>"To be better?" Repeated Tieria, heartbroken by the child's confession. Valena tore her gaze away from Tieria and looked down at her feet. There was an unsettling silence between the child and the templar.<br/>By then, Tieria finished her smoke and licked her lips; the after taste of the smoke burned on her tongue. She looked at Valena and gave a warm smile.<br/>"Good things will happen – you have my word – the Light will grant your wish." Promised Tieria, she reached out to caress Valena's pale cheek, which made the girl blush.</p><p>Tieria entered the house alongside Valena, they found both Alanna and Therold already awake and starting their day. Alanna was busy washing some dishes in the kitchen, the infant boy was asleep in a bassinet next to her. Meanwhile Therold was sitting at the dinner table, scribbling on some parchment.</p><p>As Tieria approached Therold, she waved at Alanna as good morning and the woman replied with a nod; just like Valena – her face was pale and she had dark circles underneath her eyes. The poor woman looked exhausted.</p><p>"Sir Therold." Addressed Tieria in a forced, cheery voice. "Your wife has told me of what transpired between you and Hawke." She watched as Therold released a loud sigh and took off his glasses.<br/>"That bloody woman does not know when to keep her mouth shut. I'll-" Tieria raised her palm in front of him to signal the man to stop talking. The Kul'tiran man closed his mouth, and silently waited for the paladin to speak.<br/>"Slaying them on their boat will cause some unpleasant rumors among the townsfolk. Especially if more people know what has transpired between you and them." Began Tieria as she took a seat across from Therold.<br/>"Get to your point." He ordered impatiently.</p><p>"Those <em>scavengers</em> desire the treasure from the mines – we hail down there together with them;" As she spoke, she saw Therold's eyebrow twitching at the mention of the mines, but nonetheless, she pursed to explain her plan: "At the entrance, we insist for them to return your possession and then we slay them in the mine. We will make it look like an accident – perhaps some stones collapsed inside the mine and killed them? That way, we avoid suspicion and the rumors surrounding your business. I leave with the tome as agreed, and you have your mine and your possession returned." Tieria gave a smile at the end, genuinely proud at her plan. Therold was silent as he soaking in everything Tieria has just said. He began wiping the lenses of his glasses with the edge of his vest.</p><p>"What changed your mind, templar?" inquired Therold. "What about your values? Don't you paladins see goodness in everyone?" Tieria blinked at him, her grin growing.<br/>"Sometimes, one's values must be '<em>nudged</em>' away." Stated Tieria simply. Therold chuckled while putting on his glasses.<br/>"Very well." Sighed Therold somewhat unconvinced. "I put my entire trust in you, Lady templar."<br/>"You will not regret this choice, Sir Swiftbook"</p><hr/><p>The treasure hunters did not hesitate when Therold and Tieria returned and pleaded them to join them to the mines. However, not the entire crew joined the expedition. Hawke had elected four members to travel alongside him: a female orc, a male worgen, a saurok and a female goblin.</p><p>They walked west towards the location of the mines with little discussion in-between. It seemed everyone was eager to receive what they desired and carry on with their lives, including Tieria.<br/>On that day, Therold ordered his workers to take a day off from the mines, including the mercenary guards he had hired – to ensure nothing would go wrong with Tieria's plan.</p><p>Once at the entrance, Therold ceased from walking and stood in the middle of the large opening. The Kul'Tiran man crossed his arms and glared at Hawke.<br/>"We go no further from here until I see my belongings returned." Said Swiftbook coldly.<br/>Hawke respected the man's word; he whistled to the female orc, and upon his command, she approached Tieria and Therold with a medium-sized wooden chest in her muscled arms.<br/>The key was inserted already in the lock and Hawke took the liberty to turn the key and unlock the chest.</p><p>There were various objects inside the chest; everything according to Alanna's description resided in there. Tieria moved aside the jewelry and small statues to reveal a large, black leather tome at the bottom of the chest. She exhaled excitedly, and as she was about to pull out the large book, Hawke aggressively pushed the lid of chest, forcing Tieria to retrieve her arm before it would get snapped in the container.</p><p>"You will have this returned when we are at the sealed door, sweetheart." Smiled Hawke. Tieria bit her lower lip and nodded.<br/>"Follow me then." She answered and alongside Therold, began entering the mines.</p><p>The small group's footsteps were echoing in the cold and vast stone hallways. Therold had a lantern in his hand to allow them to see where they were walking. As Therold and Tieria led the group deep within the mines, Therold leaned in to the paladin and whispered:<br/>"What are you waiting for?" Whispered Therold to Tieria, careful that his words would not echo in the cave. "We are already going too deep within the mines."</p><p>Tieria was silent as she continued walking, her eyes were analyzing the walls of the mines. Part of her began wondering the history behind it. Why would a sealed door exist at the end of it? And what secrets it held behind those doors?<br/>But soon enough, she snapped into reality and focused on her task. Therold's voice continued to echo in her ears.</p><p>"Do not test my patience, paladin!" scolded Therold. Tieria ceased from moving, causing everyone else, including Therold to stop walking as well.<br/>"You are a scum, you know that, Therold?" Growled Tieria with an ugly smile on her face. "It took me one day to be around you to realize that you are nobody but an impudent bastard, who abuses his wife and children, lies to people, and has no honor."</p><p>Therold widened his eyes at Tieria's insult; he opened his mouth to reply, but instead he released a loud gasp of pain as Light-infused shackled suddenly wrapped themselves around his entire body. It caused him to drop the lantern, it shattered in the processing – leaving the chains as the only source of light. The Kul'tiran man watched in shock as the holy chains were being held by Tieria. The templar was glaring at him, she began to pull by the chains until Therold was nearly pressed against her.</p><p>Alarmed, the treasure hunters drew out their weapons but did not know how to react to the paladin turning against her comrade.</p><p>"The <em>Light</em> teaches us to forgive." Whispered Tieria in Therold's ear. "But I do not follow the rules of a tool, I follow <em>my</em> values – and so shall <em>you</em>." She released her grip of the chain and with a strong leg kick, she pushed Therold into the wall, his back hitting strongly against the boulders.<br/>Therold collapsed on the ground and before he could even get up on his feet – Tieria lifted her sword in the air and channeled a Light smite directed towards the stones. The spell hit the rocks with strength, causing them to collapse on Therold. Not even a single gasp of pain could be heard from the Kul'Tiran man.</p><p>Silence persisted in the mines.</p><p>As dust settled down from the collapse that Tieria's Light caused, the treasure hunters began sheathing their weapons. Everyone stared in silence at the paladin; Tieria gripped tightly the sword in her left hand and pointed the tip of her sword at the female orc that carried the chest.</p><p>"The items." Ordered Tieria coldly. Hawke gave a nod to his comrade and slowly, the orc placed the wooden chest on the ground. "Take whatever treasure you find here and leave this place." Continued the templar as she sheathed her sword. "Leave his body." She knelt down to pick up the chest and then turned to the group of the treasure hunters. "<em>Never</em> speak of what transpired here."</p><p>Nobody replied – it seemed everyone present was still processing what had just occurred. All of them were in far greater shock to speak, hence they just gave the templar a nod and watched as she took her leave.</p><hr/><p>Alanna flinched, she accidentally inserted the needle in her thumb; a blob of blood appeared on her skin, to which she immediately reacted by bringing it to her mouth to suck on the wound. As she felt the iron taste at the tip of her tongue, Alanna gazed at her baby. He was in deep slumber; resting peacefully in his bassinet.</p><p>The Kul'tiran woman lifted her green eyes from the child, when she noticed a figure approaching the porch.<br/>Tieria was walking slowly towards Alanna, carrying a chest with her both hands. Noticing the paladin returned alone alarmed Alanna. She put away the vest she was sewing and rose from her seat.</p><p>The moment Tieria approached the stairs of the porch, the templar stopped at the first step and looked Alanna directly in the eyes. Her expression gave an indication that something had happened – but Alanna waited for Tieria to speak.<br/>Tieria first gazed down and after taking a deep breath; she lifted her eyes to the Kul'tiras woman, and finally said words Alanna did not realize how desperately she desired to hear them:</p><p>"An accident has occurred." Stated Tieria; there was no sorrow in her voice, not even a tint of melancholy. It was just… <em>cold</em>. "There was a small earthquake. It was strong enough to shake some boulders and injured our group… The stones crushed your husband."</p><p>Alanna could not describe what she felt. Joy? Sorrow? Relief? She has spent decades with a man she thought she loved, only to wake up heartbroken every morning, but she would go to sleep every night with hope, that one day it will be different. Regardless of what emotions were thundering through her body – tears begun streaming down Alanna's cheeks.</p><p>"I managed to recover your possessions." Continued Tieria, her expression softened at Alanna, but the icy tone remained steady. "I would suggest you leave this place behind." Tieria placed the chest at Alanna's feet. Noticing the distress, Tieria walked up to Alanna and placed a hand on her shoulder.<br/>"I live in Hearthglen. It is a sanctuary for the Argent Crusade champions and to those who seek refuge. It is a small town, but anyone can have a good life there, if they desire." Elaborated the templar. "There is a ship sailing this sundown."</p><p>"I thank you for your kindness, templar." Exhaled Alanna, she wiped away her tears and forced a smile. "The road to Eastern Kingdoms is long and difficult with two children. I have family in Stormsong Valley. I will do as you told me – leave Tiragarde Sound."<br/>Tieria nodded and watched as Alanna knelt down at chest and opened it. The woman's face softened at the sight of her goods. She reached out and pulled out a golden locket and gently held it in her palms.</p><p>"My mother warned me about him…" Began Alanna quietly. "But I did not listen… I thought it was true love. My last conversation with my mother ended up being a horrible argument…."<br/>"Honor her by having a good life from now on." Pleaded Tieria as she lowered herself to face Alanna. "Be with someone who loves you and your children more than life itself."</p><p>Unexpectedly, Alanna began giggling but tears continued streaming down her cheeks.<br/>"Your arrival, Lady templar…. Was a blessing in disguise." Stated the Kul'Tiran with a large smile on her face. Tieria gave a bow with her head and rose, she extended her hand to aid Alanna in getting up on her feet as well.<br/><em>"A blessing in disguise, indeed."</em> Thought Tieria to herself.<br/>"Take the chest as a token of what has transpired here." Pleaded Alanna while gesturing at the chest. "Besides my mother's necklace, I have no use of the items here since I intend to sell everything I own and travel as lightly as possible to Stormsong Valley."</p><p>"When will you leave?" Asked Tieria, she picked up the chest and as Alanna brought her infant child into her arms, the two women entered the house.<br/>"As soon as I sell this house." Confirmed Alanna. "You do not have to delay your trip any longer; I can take it from here." She smiled.<br/>"Very well." Nodded Tieria, feeling her heartwarming with joy at the sudden glitter in Alanna's eyes. "Then, I shall take my leave."</p><hr/><p>The ship back to Eastern Kingdoms left without any delays. Tieria braced herself for another incoming seasickness with somewhat excitement.<br/>As she rested on the bed on the lower level of the deck, the templar opened the chest. Her heartbeat increased; she felt like a child, who is about to open a gift on her birthday.</p><p>This time, she took out the unnecessary items <em>(but kind enough from Alanna's part to give them to her)</em> from the chest and took out the heavy leather tome. The book has certainly seen better days; its edges were scratched, there were even some scorch marks on the cover.<br/>As she flipped through the old, dusty pages, Tieria's eyes roamed through endless texts and drawings of dragons. Sadly, she noticed some missing pages and some of them were torn in half. It would certainly be a difficult read.</p><p>As eager as she was to begin to read - Tieria was well aware that reading on the ship would only aggravate her seasickness; hence, the paladin has elected to place the tome back into the chest. That is when Tieria realized there was something else at the very bottom of the wooden vessel. With her both hands, the templar pulled out a large scale from the chest. She gasped at what she held in her hands.</p><p>It was an utterly pristine black dragon scale, the size of her entire torso – which indicated it belonged to a younger dragon. Tieria could not wrap her head around what she had stumbled upon.<br/>Did Therold possess the dragon scale? Did the chest belong to the treasure hunters and they accidentally placed it in the wrong container?<em> Did it come with the book?</em></p><p>Whoever was the owner of the scale – it now was in Tieria possession. And she would be its proud owner.</p><hr/><p>Agent Cullen walked in a rushed pace, he found himself nervously removing his leather gloves and inhaling deeply. The thought of reporting bad news to his master made him sweat excessively.</p><p>As he walked, his heavy stomps echoed throughout the hallways of Karazhan. Finally, he stopped in front of a large black door and took in another deep breath. He cursed himself for losing a silly game against his comrade and now - because of <em>that</em> - he had to be the one to give this unsettling report.<br/>Cullen knocked loudly on the door with his fist, he moved his hand and gripped the handle and waited to hear the approval of his master to enter.</p><p>"Come in." Came the voice from the other side of the door.<br/>Cullen entered inside a small circular room, bookshelves were surrounding its walls and a small desk was situated in the middle of it.</p><p>Wrathion was seated in front of the desk, with a tome on his lap, since his table was already clustered with maps, parchments and various books. The Black Prince raised an eyebrow, waiting for his agent to explain why he was interrupting the dragon's research.</p><p>"We have… Failed to recover the black scale." Elaborated Cullen, he attempted to hide his fear and discomfort by putting on a brave face. Nonetheless, the Blacktalon agent found himself pressing his back against the door as he nervously gripped his gloves in his hands. Wrathion's expression turned into a disappointed glare but a smile formed on his lips.<br/>"Now how did <em>that</em> occur?" Inquired Wrathion in his sly tone as he began stroking his goatee.</p><p>"The treasure hunters we were tracking have given the scale to someone else. A paladin… I think..." Cullen swallowed heavily, readying himself what he was about to say. "We were uncertain if we should engage with her so… We did not."<br/>Wrathion licked his lips and released an empty laugh.</p><p>"Haven't I given the order to recover the scale?" The Black Prince purred; frustration was visible in his crimson eyes. Cullen nodded and wiped away sweat from his forehead.<br/>"You told us to attack the treasure hunters in open waters at our first opportunity, my lord." Cullen said with a small pause in-between each word. "We were not sure if we should attack the paladin... Since she was not a part of the treasure hunters' crew." Wrathion's eyes narrowed at his agent and he rose from his chair, slamming the tome on the desk.<br/>"You think you justify your deficiency on a <em>technicality</em>?" Hissed the dragon angrily. Agent Cullen shook his head.<br/>"No, my Lord! Give us time and we will recover the scale from-"</p><p>"Enough!" Interrupted Wrathion. He ran his fingers through his long, curly black hair and took in a deep breath. "Time is precious, my friend." Continued the Black Prince, in a much softer tone this time. "I cannot afford anymore failures, not when N'Zoth is about to resurface."<br/>Wrathion waved his arm, gesturing to his agent to move to the left side. Cullen immediately acted on his master's orders and watched as Wrathion opened the door of the study.<br/>"My Lord?" addressed Cullen while staring as Wrathion walked away. The Black Prince's voice, echoed within the halls of Karazhan:</p><p>"I will personally retrieve the black scale from this <em>paladin</em>."</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Confrontation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can also read it on Fanfiction.net and find more information on my tumblr! (Linked in my profile)</p><p>Feedback is always welcome! ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>"All alone in the depths..."</em> Growled an echo from the abyss.</p><p>Tieria blinked at her own reflection in the mirror while gently brushing her shoulder-length hair. She ceased from humming a tune when she thought she heard a sound. The paladin glanced around her chamber but failed to notice anything or anyone present by her. Calmly, Tieria resumed to prepare for a new day.</p><p>The paladin returned to Hearthglen late into the midnight, and immediately went to sleep off her seasickness. She had a dreamless slumber that night – much like any other nights in her life.<br/>Tieria never experienced dreaming, or if she did – the young templar would forget of it in the moment her eyes opened. On numerous occasions, she has attempted to learn the reason behind her inability to dream but failed to locate any information. Her mind simply was unable to conjure any sort of illusion during her slumber.</p><p>Once she has finished fixing her hairdo, Tieria glanced in the mirror once more.</p><p><em>"One small detail."</em> She thought to herself, then she would look presentable for a new day. The templar reached out to the circular bronze box from the vanity table and opened it to apply some powder on her ivory face. She ensured multiple layers of powder were applied on her upper right cheek – to cover the scar which was cut across its surface.<br/>A fresh bath, neatly brushed hair and having her gold and white armor polished anew, made Tieria forget everything that has occurred during her trip in Kul'tiras.</p><p>Before taking her leave, Tieria glanced at the desk which was pressed against the wall, right before the large opened in window; the breeze from the outside nearly blew the parchments which rested on the surface of the table, forcing Tieria to pace swiftly to the desk and gather all of the papers and maps, stacking them underneath the wooden box filled with quills and jars of ink.</p><p>Her eyes went over the chest she had acquired from Kul'Tiras; gently she traced the scratched wood with her index finger then fixated her palms to open the lid. She glanced at the dragon scales which rested inside the chest. The sun rays managed to reach the scale, shining upon beautiful black color. With utmost care, Tieria picked up the dragon scale to analyze it closer – so many thoughts ran through her mind as she held it.</p><p>The black dragonflight were once in charge of protecting the realm of Azeroth, this duty was bestowed to them by the Titans themselves. However, the ambitious Neltharion - the Dragon Aspect of the Earth, -was chosen by the Old Gods to be their ultimate tool of destruction and their corruption eventually spread to the entire dragonflight.</p><p>Since the Earth-Warder's death, nearly every black dragon on Azeroth was slain or turned into corrupted beasts who failed to see any sort of reasoning, causing the entire race to become extinct. Thus, Tieria could not understand how could this unscarred black scale, which clearly belonged to a young drake, find its way in treasure hunters' chest.<br/>Perhaps the black dragonflight isn't as extinct as the templar thought. Locating this scale gave Tieria hope. Hope that she can restore the prime power to all of the dragons and heal Azeroth – this was the sacred duty the templar set in her heart to accomplish.</p><p>Once she finished admiring the scale, Tieria placed it back into the chest and locked it. She hid the steel key of the chest inside a drawer, underneath multiple parchments and old correspondence. Not that Hearthglen was not a safe place, she would doubt any thief would have the nerve to enter the keep of the city and march inside a chamber of an Argent Crusade champion; but the paladin could not help but take precautions of such a unique and valuable item.</p><hr/><p>As she exited the stronghold of Hearthglen, Tieria glanced around the small town while feeling the warm sun rays smiling on her skin, which made the paladin forget that winter was just around the corner.</p><p>The cold season did not bother the townsfolk of Hearthglen. Everyone was caring to their day: farmers were bringing in fresh crops, merchants were attempting to bargain their goods with travelers, the stablemen took take of the horses and hippogryphs, and the soldiers were patrolling the walls.</p><p>The Scourge has been defeated years ago, and Western Plaguelands <em>(despite nobody bothering to rename the land),</em> has gradually recovered from the sickness which the dead has planted upon it, with the efforts of the Cenarion Circle and the Argent Crusade.</p><p>Within the past two years, more people have returned to reclaim the lands they once held when the kingdom of Lordaeron still stood; the soil was fertilized, allowing farms to be initiated, lakes have been cleaned so fish could return to the waters, trees once again had the color of rich orange and yellows on this fine end of autumn.<br/>And so, many citizens have started to build a new life in the fortified town known as Hearthglen. The people who lived here owned no allegiance to neither the Horde nor the Alliance; they served no King or Warchief; Orcs, taurens, gnomes, human and many other races learnt to live behind the walls of Hearthglen in peace, with the Argent Crusade being their only authority.</p><p>Since the tragic death of Tirion Fordring upon the Broken Shore, nobody from the order had the courage to fill up the position of the mighty Highlord, forcing the people of Hearthglen to elect a mayor to bring order to once stronghold of the Argent Crusade. Now, Hearthglen was a small town and an escape for refugees who abandoned their beliefs in either the Horde or the Alliance.</p><p>Whatever position or state Hearthglen was in Eastern Kingdoms – it was Tieria's home for a long time. And she had no desire to leave it; not yet anyway.</p><p>The moment Tieria was outside the keep, she immediately walked towards the training ground from behind the military building. New recruits were assessing their weapons and fighting skills either against each other or training dummies.<br/>The templar approached a dwarf figure, who was busy plunging new training dummies into the sand with a wooden hammer. Sweat was already dripping off his face as he hit into the trunks of wood with full force.<br/>As he heard footsteps, the dwarf lifted his dirty-blonde head, his eyes widening with joy at the sight of Tieria:</p><p>"Tieria! Glad to see yer returned in one piece, lassie!" Exclaimed the dwarf while dropping the hammer on the ground and extending his arms. Tieria giggled at the dwarf's excitement and approached him for an embrace.<br/>"How was the Great Sea, my dear?" Inquired Caradin as he picked up the mace in his hand once again.<br/>"Different." Replied Tieria after a pause once she found a proper answer. Her lips curved into a smile as she continued: "The trip was invaluable. And I brought you something..." Continued the paladin warmly; she extended her arm to reveal a bottle of rum. The bottle was designed in the shape of a siren sitting atop a large seashell, the glass continued below in the shape of a pile of sand to allow the bottle to maintain balance. The glass siren had a crown made out of some unrecognizable type of metal, which served as a seal for the glass. It was impeccable craftsmanship and a fine drink.</p><p>But Caradin did not care what sort of drink the bottle held inside.</p><p>Caradin had a unique interest in collecting various bottles from around Azeroth. It wasn't the alcohol beverage he desired to own; it was the beautiful and unique designs, each race and nation crafted to hold in those beverages. Not once did Caradin dare to take a sip from his collection. He displayed them all proudly in his house, in a glass closet which he kept locked.<br/>The dwarf gently took the bottle of rum from Tieria and examined it attentively. He was so amiable around the Kul'Tiran bottle, as if he was afraid his fingers would crack the glass by merely holding it.</p><p>"This is a wonderful gift! Thank you, lassie." Smiled Caradin brightly. Tieria returned the smile then lifted her eyes to examine her surroundings.<br/>"How has it been since my departure?" Asked the paladin. Caradin looked around as well and gave a lazy shrug.<br/>"The usual; people carry on with their daily lives. We've had some Stormwind militia here, stopin' on their way home. They celebrated loudly in the tavern, apparently - the fourth war is officially over."<br/>"So I've heard." Replied Tieria boringly.</p><p>
  <em>The Fourth War.</em>
</p><p>It was just a matter of time and the fifth war would erupt. She knew that, the Horde and the Alliance knew that; perhaps every insect which crawled on Azeroth knew that.</p><p>"Did yer find what ye were lookin' for in Kul'Tiras?" Queried the dwarf warmly. Tieria nodded excitedly.<br/>"I have." She replied. "I desire to study the tome the soon as possible, hence I'll retire to my quarters soon."</p><p>A silence followed up between Tieria and Caradin. He looked at Tieria with both joy and disagreement in his eyes. The dwarf clenched his jaw and released a sigh, it seemed the templar's desire to lock herself in her chamber to study the tome has stirred something in Caradin.</p><p>"Lass…" Began Caradin; hesitation was heard in his tone. "I've been meaning to talk to ye about it; yer obsession with the Dragon Isle… It is starting to affect ye." Tieria bit her lower lip and sighed as she was listening to the dwarf:<br/>"Ye barely talk to anyone anymore, and each journey takes longer than the last one! Every time ye're back ye simply lock yaself in yer quarter, readin' about dragons." Caradin sighed in desperation. "What if one of these times… Ye don't come back? Don't ye get lonely?"<br/>"Caradin." Scolded Tieria coldly. She well understood her friend's concern. This was not the first time the two of them have had this conversation. And each time Tieria believed she has made Caradin understand her point of view, the dwarf would bring up the topic and proceed with another debate shortly after.</p><p>"I know ye mean well by tryin' to find them 'em lands… Dragons were a bit part of Azeroth."<br/>"<em>Are</em>." Corrected Tieria. "They still are the guardians of Azeroth. They… Simply need their strength restored."<br/>"Us, Argent Crusaders are just as much guardians of this world as the dragons." Argued Caradin calmly. He did not raise his voice; he attempted his best to delicately persuade his friend. "Just because there is no Scourge ta fight that does not mean we are useless, lass. There are other battles to win. The Sword in Silithus-"<br/>"Is impossible to put a stop to." Interrupted Tieria and crossed her arms. Caradin exhaled a sigh and shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a tall figure approaching them.</p><p>A female human, stood between Tieria and Caradin with a faint smile in her rose-pink lips. She had long, raven-black hair which she kept in a side braid. The sleeveless, light blue robe she wore, exposed the woman's shoulders and a white linen apron was tied around her curvy hips.<br/>The moment Tieria made eye-contact with the woman next to her, she spoke in a soft voice:</p><p>"Welcome back, Tieria." She greeted warmly. "I am glad to see you well. Caradin was worried since you had to travel by ship; he kept saying your seasickness will be the death of you." Chuckled the woman.<br/>"It is good to see you too, Eleina." Tieria returned the smile. She watched as Caradin took Eleina's hand into his and then continued: "I loathe ships and the sea – I will be damned if I let my last moments on Azeroth be on a ship." Joked Tieria warmly; she was glad, Eleina arrived when she did; it allowed her to avoid the unpleasant conversation with Caradin (<em>again</em>).</p><p>The paladin watched as Caradin and Eleina mumbled between each other, her brows knitted while she guessed the content of their whispers. Ultimately, Caradin motioned his head to Tieria and said:<br/>"Go ahead then." He sighed at Eleina.<br/>Eleina's pale cheeks rose in a red color as she shyly addressed the paladin:</p><p>"I have given thought, Tieria." Began the woman, while plucking strands of her hair and arranging them behind her ears. "Would you do us the honor of marrying us? I am aware that templars are able to officiate."<br/>Tieria's eyes widened in surprise. She obviously knew she would be a guest to Caradin and Eleina's wedding, given her close relationship with the couple. Nonetheless, the young templar did not expect to receive such a role at the ceremony.</p><p>Tieria and Caradin have formed a friendship long before they have joined the Argent Crusade<em> (at the time, it was titled Argent Dawn)</em>.<br/>When Tieria was only simple a daughter of a blacksmith and Caradin only an apprentice engineer, who aided the victims of the Scourge in building better defenses in their temporary refugee strongholds.</p><p>When her father would be asleep, Tieria would sneak away during nighttime and use his crafted weapons to practice swordsmanship. She would polish her fighting skills every night, in fear that the Scourge would attack once again, and there would come a time when her father might not be able to defend her.<br/>One particular night, Caradin saw the young lass learning the art of the sword and offered to instruct her; thus – a friendship has formed.<br/>Caradin was more than a friend to her; by being nearly a decade older than her, he was her instructor and mentor, almost like a second father to her. And despite the fact that the dwarf did not walk the path of the templar as Tieria, he was still a fellow warrior serving the Argent Crusade, who has always fought by her side.</p><p>Tieria was overjoyed when Caradin had gotten engaged to Eleina a year ago, shortly after the defeat of the Burning Legion. Eleina was a skilled archer and preferred the company of animals rather than people; hence she took the position as the stablemaster of Hearthglen. She knew the dwarf and the paladin for a long time; ever since the merging of the Argent Dawn and the Knights of the Silver Hand, creating the order of Argent Crusade; but has reserved herself to form a bond with the two of them until years later.</p><p>Tieria exhaled and chuckled emptily at Eleina's proposal. She gave a nervous shrug as she spoke:<br/>"Eleina, I would be honored… However, I <em>cannot</em> talk in front of a large crowd. If I would officiate, I would be nervous to a greater extent at your own wedding than the two of you!" Complained the paladin in a giggle, but Eleina shook her head.<br/>"Nonsense! You will do a great job. And who would better marry us than our dearest friend?" Insisted the dark-haired woman. Tieria forced a smile on her face, still hesitation was visible on her soft features.<br/>"The weddin' is not till the next season, Eleina." Intervened Caradin with a wave of his hand. "Ye got time tae think, Tieria."</p><p>Tieria nodded and opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by a voice addressing loud to her and Caradin:<br/>"Tieria! Caradin!" Called out a young man. Both the paladin and the warrior turned to see a scout, dressed in silver armor with the Argent Crusade tabard atop his armor.<br/>He had light blonde hair, shaved to the sides, only having a crest on the top part of his head. His plate attire exposed his slim arms, and he was quite short for the standards of an average human male.</p><p>Tieria swiftly recognized him - the young scout was named Wyllen - and he has recently come to the age that would allow the Argent Crusade to accept him in the order. He was skilled in archery and tracking, but still had a long way to go until he could ascend as a high ranked soldier. Currently, he served as a scout, patrolling the walls.<br/>Wyllen stood before Tieria, Caradin and Eleina, breathing rapidly. After releasing a cough, the scout spoke:</p><p>"There has been a gnoll attack. They have destroyed a caravan with fresh shipments." Reported Wyllen.<br/>"Gnoll attack? I thought we pushed them all back a month ago." Repeated Tieria, she and Caradin exchanged confused glances. Eleina was just as shocked to hear the news.<br/>"They have resurfaced." Exhaled Wylle. "Twice the number from before, and have grown more aggressive. The merchant who owned the carriage is severely injured."<br/>"Let's put those dogs down before they do any more harm." Fumed Caradin as he glanced at Tieria. The templar gave a nod in response. "Get Durgen and Radley, we will all meet at the gates." Ordered Caradin confidently to the young scout. Wyllen saluted the dwarf and immediately ran to fulfill his command. Meanwhile, Tieria swiftly entered the armory, to retrieve whatever sword she found available.</p><hr/><p>Five members of the Argent Crusade swiftly delved into the forest on their horses. At the sight of the ruined caravan, everyone dismounted and unsheathed their weapons. The caravan – as per Wyllen's narration– was surrounded with gnolls. The creatures were scavenging from the ruined vehicle.</p><p>Caradin released a battle shout, capturing the gnolls' attention; he charged towards them with full speed. The dwarf slashed the first gnoll before him, piercing his axe deep into the creature's neck. The rest of the group readied themselves for battle.<br/>As Tieria gripped her sword tighter in her hands, she walked in a rapid pace towards a spellcaster and impaled her sword into its stomach. The gnoll shrieked in pain as blood began spilling out of its mouth and sword cut. With one strong pull, Tieria pulled out the sword and rotated her wrist to direct her weapon to slash another gnoll.</p><p>Durgen, who was a bald man and used a large spear as his weapon of choice, fought alongside Caradin, slashing every gnoll left and right.<br/>Radley was a paladin just like Tieria; however, she was a skilled shieldmaiden. She was old enough to be Tieria's mother; but the white-haired woman did not allow her age to restrain her. She lifted the heavy shield with her entire strength and bashed it into a gnoll's snout.<br/>Wyllen stood afar from the entire group, shooting the attackers with a crossbow.</p><p>Suddenly, a strong, deafening roar echoed from the mountains. Tieria's eyes widened at the sound as she turned her head to attempt to locate the creature who caused it; her comrades, and even the gnolls - did the same, causing everyone to lose their focus on the battle.<br/>A powerful wind began blowing the surrounding forest and the gnolls began to growl in fear. Anxiously, the Argent Crusade soldiers gripped their weapons tighter. The roar grew powerful as a large shadow appeared above Tieria and the others. Fire erupted from the sky and began scorching all of the gnolls from the area.</p><p>Tieria opened her mouth in shock but no sound came out. A black dragon flew high over them, breathing out fire to sear the gnolls. The poor canine-like beasts were screeching and fleeing in agonizing pain while the dragon landed on the ground, breaking apart their formation.<br/>The gnolls who were fortunate enough to escape the dragon, were attempting to retreat however – the dark beast was not so forgiving; with his large claws he slashed and stomped upon the gnolls, blood was spilling on his shining black scales.</p><p>The champions of the Argent Crusade stood unmoved; shocked at the sight in front of them. Dragons have not roamed the northern skies of the Eastern Kingdoms in decades. Expect for one… <em>Black</em> dragon.</p><p><em>Deathwing</em>.</p><p>To see another sight of a black dragon was devastating – since everyone's memories regarding these creatures were only filled with horror and death.<br/>The horses began to panic, but Tieria and Wyllen reached out to calm down the animals.</p><p>"Get a ballista." Ordered Caradin. Noticing that not a single soul who surrounded him did not even budge, he yelled: "Now! Move!"<br/>Wyllen and Durgen did as they were ordered – with speed they mounted their hoses and galloped back towards the gates of Hearthglen to retrieve the siege weapon.<br/>Radley remained with Caradin and Tieria. She taunted the dragon and avoided his fireballs alongside the dwarf.</p><p>Meanwhile, Tieria stood frozen in front of the dragon; the templar swore she saw him narrowing his crimson eyes at her. Frozen in her place, she could not help but analyze the beast before her. He had crisp black scales, golden rings decorated each of his large horns and a small goatee was dangling down his chin. His glare caused Tieria's soul to set on fire.<br/>The dragon leaned in, directing his head down towards the young paladin. He lifted his claw, readying himself to attack Tieria.</p><p>"Tieria, watch out!" Warned Caradin when he saw that the dragon had his attention fixed on his friend. Tieria swiftly reacted, jumping to the side to dodge the beast's hit.<br/>"Thief!" Roared the dragon in a low voice. Tieria stared at the creature appalled. She felt uncertain how to conduct what she was facing.<br/>Caradin tossed a dagger into the dragon's head, getting the beast's attention. He became irritated by the dwarf and attempted to slam him with his hand.</p><p>In that very moment, Wyllen and Durgen returned - pushing a ballista down the hill.<br/>"Hurry! Load it up!" Cried out Radley, she leaped onto the siege weapon and began directing it towards the dragon.<br/>"Wait! You plan on shooting it?" Inquired Tieria in concern. She watched the soldiers placing a large, steel arrow unto the ballista. The thought of killing the dragon did not sit well with Tieria.</p><p>Hearing her voice made the dragon focus his attention on her once more. He turned his large head at the templar as he took in a deep breath, readying himself to breathe out a wave of fire.</p><p>"What else can we do?" Argued Caradin, while desperately trying to keep the dragon's attention fixated upon him.<br/>Unlike Tieria, Wyllen and Radley did not hesitate to launch the weapon. Given that the dragon was distracted by Tieria, he failed to notice the arrow flying towards him. It managed to pierce deeply into his scaled left shoulder.</p><p>Tieria gasped at the sight of the black dragon roaring in pain. He released a wave of fire, directed towards everyone present. Radley raised her shield in defense, while Tieria found herself casting a bubble of Light around her; everyone else cowered behind trees.<br/>It was only the ballista which suffered the damage from the dragon. The siege weapon immediately caught on fire and tore itself into pieces.</p><p>Tieria watched the dragon glare at his foes and opened his wings as he roared in pain. The wind he created with his wings, pushed the Argent Crusaders off their feet. Angrily, the beast flew up in the skies, with the arrow still pierced into his shoulder.<br/>The templar caught the sight of the dragon's struggle to maintain his balance due to his wounded shoulder. She watched him fly away to the north, behind the mountains; as she glanced at the silhouette of the dragon disappearing into the horizon, Tieria wondered how far he would be able to fly with an arrow punctured in him.</p><p>Silence dawned upon the burning battlefield. The wooden caravan scorched loudly as the Argent Crusade soldiers aided each other to stand up.</p><p>"W-what in the Light's name has just happened?" Radley breathed out, her blue eyes blinking rapidly. "This was supposed to be a simple gnoll attack…"<br/>Tieria felt Caradin's eyes on her – and she was well aware what the dwarf was thinking:</p><p>
  <em>The dragon came after her.</em>
</p><p>It was far from a coincidence that a dragon appeared within these forests as soon as Tieria's returned with the dragon tome. It was not in the dragons' nature to carelessly aid mortals with petty fights against lower races such as gnolls or murlocs.<br/>The beast must have had a reason to appear here, and that reason could only be a particular templar, who sought their secrets.</p><hr/><p>Back in Hearthglen, Caradin pulled Tieria aside in the instant moment that he had the opportunity to talk to her in private.</p><p>"Lass." Began the dwarf quietly, and in a scolding tone. "Dragons? The moment ye return with a dragon tome, those flyin' lizards are suddenly adventurin' here? I don't like poitin' fingers, but I cannot help but think yer involved in this."<br/>Tieria pressed her lips against each other, while wiping sweat off her forehead. Her friend had a plausible theory – and perhaps a correct one at that matter. The paladin swore that the dragon accused someone of thievery, and his glares were distinctly directed to her.</p><p>"What in Light's name have ye done, Tieria?!" Asked Caradin concerned. Tieria shook her head and exhaled.<br/>"Nothing! Nothing that would… Taunt a dragon." Replied the paladin defensively. "A black dragon at that matter…" Her trail of thoughts washed away before she could finish her sentence.<br/>"<em>The black scale!</em>" Tieria thought to herself in disbelief.</p><p>Caradin sighed defeated; then he looked at his friend, his blue eyes displaying utmost concern.<br/>"I know ye don't like takin' peoples' advice…" Began the dwarf. Would have Caradin been taller, he could place his hand on Tieria's shoulder. However, his height limited him to only reach out to her arm. "If ye keep on pursuin' with this Dragon Isle quest… Be careful. Apparently, I am not the only one against this search."<br/>Tieria nodded quietly, unable to find the correct words to reply to the dwarf. The dragon was most likely after her, and it made the templar feel guilty for putting her comrades in danger.</p><p>Caradin began walking away, but stopped when Tieria called him out:<br/>"Caradin." Called Tieria. "Do you think… That it was a wise choice to shoot him? Black dragons are already extinct..." The dwarf rested his hands on his hips and gave a shrug.<br/>"Extinct or not – that thing shot fire at us. Seemed like a good reason to put 'im down."</p><hr/><p>Tieria was unable to focus for the rest of the day.</p><p>As she flipped through the dragonic tome, which she had acquired from Kul'Tiras, the templar's mind would constantly repeat the image of the black dragon screeching in pain.<br/>Soothing tea, tasty desserts, warm blankets – nothing provided comfort to Tieria while she sat in her chamber.</p><p>First, she had the knowledge that black dragons are either dead or corrupted. Soon enough, she recovered a black scale of a young black dragon; which meant that the black dragonflight have started to recover and possibly are able to reproduce again. Then, she is being attacked by a black dragon right at her doorstep.</p><p>All of these events occurring in one day overwhelmed the paladin.</p><p>Tieria has been learning about dragons since before the Cataclysm has struck; but she has begun to delve deeper into their history after Deathwing's defeat. After she learnt that the Aspects have been severely weakened during the battle against the Aspect of Death, and even left them unable to even reproduce.<br/>The thought of Azeroth's guardians being vulnerable frightened Tieria; she has seen numerous times how servants of darkness sought to destroy the world; The Scourge, The Cataclysm, The Burning Legion. Alas, each time, Azeroth has emerged victorious.</p><p>
  <em>But for how long?</em>
</p><p>For how long will Azeroth stand tall? Especially now, when it has the sword of a Dark Titan impaled, causing the earth to literally bleed out?</p><p>The more Tieria learnt about the dragons, the more the templar theorized that without their aid - Azeroth is doomed. That is also how her research has led her to the Dragon Isles.<br/>A land shrouded in mystery. Few have heard of it, and fewer have been there. It was currently Tieria's main objective. She believed that the Dragon Isles held the power which could be harnessed to rejuvenate the ailing Dragon Aspects and their flights. And hopefully, restore Azeroth.</p><p>Rapidly Tieria flipped through the pages of tome, searching for the words "Dragon Isles"; the paladin sighed when she realized that she's reaching the end of the book, and yet she has not seen any texts regarding the mystery land. In irritation and obvious distraction, Tieria accidentally ripped a part of the page.</p><p>She gasped in shock as she stared at the torn piece of parchment in her hand; causing the templar to break away from her daydream. Suddenly, she realized that night had descended upon Hearthglen.<br/>Tieria closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, while gently laying down what half of the page she had just torn.</p><p>"This isn't right." Tieria mumbled to herself. She pushed the chair and left her desk. Swiftly, the paladin put on her chestpiece and kilt, then she adjusted the shoulderpads while glancing at herself through the mirror. Once dressed in her armor, Tieria sprinted to the armory to recover a long rope and a lantern, before leaving for the woods.</p><hr/><p>The broken branches and collapsed trees were a clear indication of the direction in which the black dragon flew in.</p><p>The moonlight shined eerily strong that night, allowing Tieria to track the dragon easier. She walked quietly, breathing through her mouth as her nose quickly stiffed itself due to the chill wind. The days might have been warm in Western Plaguelands; however, it was late-autumn, which brought very cold nights.<br/>As she paced through the woods, Tieria cursed herself for not taking a cloak with her. In the hurry, she even forgot to bring a weapon.</p><p>The templar walked a long path; following any tracks she believed the dragon might have left. Most likely - due to his injury - the dragon might have sometimes walked on the ground; since dragonic prints were seen on the soil.<br/>Tieria walked up a hill, and was even forced to climb a small portion of a mountain. But to her luck – she eventually was successful in locating the winged creature.</p><p>The view before her, caused the templar to feel a wave of sorrow in her.</p><p>The dragon was asleep, curled up as he rested his head on his scaled hands. Breathing in and out at a slow, unnatural pace. The arrow was pierced in his shoulder as before, and blood was dripping down on his scaled torso. He was suffering in his slumber, and perhaps – just as Tieria theorized – he was unable to fly to a safer location due to the wound.<br/>Tieria approached the dragon with little steps, treading lightly upon the soil. However – the paladin wasn't as quiet as she would hope. The dragon immediately opened his eyes and raised his head, moving it slowly akin to a snake. He glared at Tieria as his nostrils flared in anger.</p><p>Instinctively, Tieria lifted her arms in the air, to display that she was unarmed and posed no danger to the dragon.<br/>"I am here to help." Declared Tieria softly. She gently gestured to the steel arrow as she continued: "I can try to take it out."<br/>"You think I would not have not done that by now, paladin?" Spat the dragon rudely. His low, echoing voice brought goosebumps on Tieria's skin. She exhaled and took a step closer to the dragon.<br/>"There has been a misunderstanding between us and you. And I am here to make amends on my part." She continued humbly, but the beast grunted.<br/>"Oh… How '<em>honorable</em>'…" Replied the dragon mockingly. Tieria bit her lower lip in exasperation but remained calm.</p><p>She blinked at the winged beast in silence, unsure how to convince him into letting her aid him.<br/>"If you came here contemplating that you can <em>'finish the job'</em>, paladin – you are <em>greatly</em> mistaken." He said threatening, while lifting his body and opening his wings. It was visible that the dragon was swallowing his pain to appear intimidating.<br/>"No!" Denied Tieria while shaking her head. "I want to help you! Let me remove the arrow, then I will be on my way."<br/>"Humph." Growled the dragon. "Why is a paladin so devoted to helping a black dragon? You mortals see us one of the most prominent threats in this world."<br/>"I don't." Replied Tieria simply. "The truth and virtue of the Light imbued me with the power to revitalize those in the need of it. Such is my way." She quoted the Tome of Divinity.<br/>"Poetic words, templar." Chuckled the black beast. "Do as you wish."</p><p>Tieria exhaled in relief and began preparing the rope, while the dragon laid on his stomach, revealing the pierced arrow to her. The templar climbed on his scaled arm; fortunately, the dragon did not seem to have reached his full age, given that he was fairly small compared to the other dragons she had seen. This allowed Tieria to climb him with ease, and tie knots around the arrow.<br/>She jumped down from the dragon and grabbed the other end of the rope; with her entire strength, Tieria pulled while the dragon and walked backwards, growling in pain. The arrow was pulling itself with a slow speed. Tieria continued to yank the rope while grinning her teeth. Attentively, she watched the dragon's struggle to free his shoulder from the pain of the steel arrow.</p><p>In a large pull, Tieria managed to pluck it out. The dragon roared in pain as the arrow fell on the ground. Swiftly, the templar picked it up and tossed it into some bushes, before glancing once more at the winged-creature in front of her, who now was breathing heavily to cease the burning pain.</p><p>Tieria opened her mouth to address the dragon, but she was immediately interrupted by the beast lifting his large, right hand atop Tieria and pinning her to the ground. Her shoulderpads removed themselves due the size of his claws, exposing her shoulders.<br/>The templar gasped as she fell on cold soil, stuck in-between two fingers of the dragon; she glared, unable to understand why the creature decided to hold her down when she had just aided him.</p><p>The dragon lowered his head, narrowing the space between him and Tieria.<br/>"<em>Now</em> it is time to actually make amends, thief." Growled the dragon. "I will take back what is mine."<br/>"What-" Tieria's eyes widened when she realized what the dragon desired. "The scale? The black dragon scale." She stated. "I did not steal it!"<br/>"I do not care for excuses." He said irritated. "Return it to me at once!"</p><p>Tieria glared at the dragon while trying to break free from his grasp. However, it was futile to even attempt; his claws did not even budge at her movement.<br/>"Light forgive what I am about to do." Sighed Tieria. She shut her eyes, and guided her mind in a meditate state. The essence of the Light began generating itself within her; the cracks from the ground began emitting in a silver light.</p><p>The dragon glared while processing what was happening. In a blink of an eye, the entire ground beneath Tieria lit up; searing the dragon's hand, which forced him to retrieve it in pain and free Tieria. The templar promptly jumped on her feet; once again cursing herself for not bringing a weapon with her.<br/>Albeit, as she did not want to harm the dragon, he gave her little choice.</p><p>"Well… Aren't you a frisky one?" Chuckled the dragon slyly. He began walking in circles around Tieria. As he analyzed the paladin, Tieria noticed that he moved slowly. His injury must have afflicted him more than the creature desired to admit.<br/>"Why do you need the scale?" Asked Tieria.<br/>"Why do <em>you</em> need it?" Hissed the black dragon. "They belong to my kin! What use would a lowly paladin could have for it?" He continued to walk in circles, his long tail blocking every gap in which Tieria could slip in. The dragon was becoming weary of this conversation; he stomped his large foot in front of Tieria and spoke:</p><p>"I do not have time for your questions, mortal! Return the scale to me!"<br/>"I doubt you can fly with that hole punctured in your shoulder." Replied Tieria snarky. She took a small step back when the dragon glared. "I am not your enemy. I possess more knowledge about dragons than you think!"<br/>"<em>Oh</em>?" Laughed the dragon. Once again, he lowered his head before Tieria. He was about to speak, but the sound of movement between the trees, caused the dragon and the templar to cease their argument.</p><p>Tieria held her breath as she attentively listened – branches cracking indicated that it was not an owl; and the steps were far too heavy for a deer, or any type of animal at that matter.<br/>The dragon growled in taunt; he turned to the bushes while readying himself to breathe out fire. The bushes and the trees immediately caught on fire from the dragon's exhale; and two men in dark armor emerged from their hiding, jumping before Tieria and the dragon.</p><p>Alarmed, Tieria readied for battle; even without a weapon, the templar could still put up a fight.<br/>The two attackers charged at the dragon, but Tieria taunted one of them by casting a light hammer into his direction, hitting him into his stomach. In anger and even shock, the masked rogue ran towards Tieria; the templar once again consecrated the ground – causing his feet to burn upon stepping on the Light-infused soil. In one maneuver, she succeeded to disarm him from one of his daggers, and without hesitation she pierced it into his stomach.<br/>The rogue cried out in pain, his anguish worsening after Tieria pushed him into the consecrated ground, letting him burn into the Light.</p><p>Meanwhile, the black dragon took down the other assassin, by simply stomping on him and piercing his large claw into his back. The battle ended sooner than Tieria realized.<br/>The templar glanced down at the defeated foes. They appeared to ordinary humans; however, their outfits were unlike she has ever seen before.<br/>The design of their attires was not of any cultist organization she knew of; their robes were of a dark violet color, decorated with black chains around shoulders and waist. Orange gems were sewed in the center of the torso and inside the metal gauntlets.</p><p>"Who were they-" Tieria gasped when she no longer saw the dragon. Instead, a dark-skinned half-elf, with voluminous, black curly hair, laid unconscious on the ground where the beast once was.<br/>It seemed the dragon assumed that it would be easier to fight in his humanoid form; or perhaps, due to weakness from the injury, he has accidentally altered his appearance. Whatever was the reason – it did not matter to Tieria</p><p>Tieria ran as swiftly as she could to his side and began to examine the unconscious half-elf. Swiftly, she ran to his side and examined him. One did not to be an expert in healing, to know that the dragon has lost too much blood and required immediate aid.<br/>With her entire strength, Tieria lifted the dark-haired half-elf and wrapped his left arm around her.<br/>"Stay with me." The templar pleaded softly as she began crawling back to Hearthglen.</p><hr/><p>The next morning, Tieria gazed upon the sleeping dragon, who was resting on her bed in his half-elven form.</p><p>The templar slept little that night, given that she took her time to clean the wound and heal the injured dragon. All this time, he has been unconscious; but he was breathing.<br/>A sudden knock on the door disrupted Tieria's thoughts, causing her to jump out of her seat, which was next to the bed. She paced towards the sound and opened the door as quietly as possible, but whoever was on the other side wasn't as careful as her. Caradin walked in immediately in her room, the templar once again jumped in surprise, since she had not anticipated to see him so early in the morning.</p><p>"Listen lassie…" Exhaled her dwarven friend. "I have been thinkin' this night… I feel bad talkin' so harsh to ye regardin' the Dragon Isles… I was bein' a lousy friend."<br/>Tieria opened her mouth to speak, but then bit her tongue when Caradin noticed the asleep man on her bed.<br/>"Ah… Yer havin' company?" The dwarf leaned in to his friend and whispered: "Should I come later?" Tieria's cheeks flushed red and she shook her head agitatedly.<br/>"No!" Realizing the volume of her voice, the templar inhaled deeply then continued in a whisper: "This is not… <em>Company</em>. That is…" She paused, unsure if it would be wise to tell the truth. She was confident the dwarf would scold her. But Tieria could not lie to her friend. "…The black dragon."</p><p>Caradin's blue eyes widened in shock as he glanced again at the sleeping half-elf:<br/>"Ye brought the dragon here!?"<br/>"<em>Shh</em>!" Hushed Tieria and began pushing Caradin outside her chamber, leading him into the hallway.<br/>"He poses no threat." Tieria explained while closing the door behind her. "And he is injured, Caradin. Because of us."<br/>"Nay lassie, he's injured 'cause he was lookin' for a freakin' fight!"</p><p>Tieria hushed the dwarf again, slightly annoyed at the fact that he was not controlling the volume of his voice.<br/>"He was attacked." Declared the paladin plainly. "Someone is chasing him and he is in obvious danger. Don't you think it would be hypocritical from my part to let a dragon get killed, when I am so desperately trying to aid them?"<br/>Caradin remained silent; he once again had the "disapproving mixed with concern" look. He scratched his beard and nodded at Tieria:<br/>"Yer right… however-"<br/>"I will be careful." Interrupted Tieria with a smile while opening the door to her chamber and entering again.</p><p>The dragon was still asleep, it seemed Caradin's loud complaints did not wake him up. As Tieria walked up towards the bed, her eyes were focused on the dragon. His breathing has returned to a stable rhythm and his muscles seem to have relaxed.<br/>Carefully, as not to awake him, Tieria sat on the edge of the bed to examine the half-elf closer.</p><p>Much like many dragons, he had dapper features in his humanoid form. His voluminous hair was shining; and despite it lying scattered around the pillow and his face - it still managed to look elegant.<br/>Tieria moved a couple of his hair strands away from his high cheekbones and his lips. Her eyes continued roaming his face, analyzing his well-trimmed beard and goatee; she also noticed the golden loops pierced in each of his ears.</p><p>Having to heal his shoulder, Tieria was forced to strip him off his grey shoulderpads and the black long coat. She unbuttoned his linen shirt but kept it on his shoulders, his body was not too well-toned, but there was some definition of built muscles.<br/>The templar's eyes roamed down, glancing at the necklace laying on his chest. With the tips of her fingers, she touched the ruby gem, wondering if the piece of jewelry held any special meaning to the dragon, or if the trinket was a pure accessory.</p><p>However – that was not the only question Tieria asked herself. So many thoughts were running through her mind as she looked at the dragon.</p><p>Where is he coming from? How did he know that Tieria possessed the dragon scale, and how did he locate her?<br/>The templar didn't even know his name.</p><p>Suddenly, Tieria felt a grip upon her right wrist. She gasped when she noticed the half-elf's hand encircled around it. It has seemed she has accidentally awakened the dragon. As he held her wrist tightly, the man opened his eyes.<br/>Deadly silence enveloped the chamber, as the dragon and the paladin stared at each other. Tieria felt intimidated to speak, meanwhile the dragon was still taking time to fully wake up.</p><p>"It's me." Whispered Tieria. The dragon's crimson eyes roamed Tieria; then as soon as he remembered the events which had occurred last night, he allowed himself to relax and sink his head in the pillow.<br/>He released her from his grip, letting his hand lazily fall on the bed. Tieria retrieved her arm close to her, and gently caressed her wrist with her left hand as she continued looking at the dragon.<br/>"How do you feel?" Asked the templar in a soft tone. The half-elf masked dragon released a dry laugh in reply.<br/>"I've certainly had better days." He said in a surprisingly warm voice. Tieria looked at the dark-skinned half-elf, as thousands of questions ran through her mind. She did not know where to begin. Eventually, she mustered the courage to pose one of her unnumbered inquiries:<br/>"Who were your attackers? Why did they attack you?"</p><p>The dragon slowly lifted his upper body, grunting in pain as he moved. He reached out to his bandaged shoulder while continuing to growl.<br/>"Why is anyone killing black dragons?" He breathed out rhetorically. The dragon sighed, and ran his fingers through his long, curly locks. "Because of our weakness to the Old Gods' corruption; because of the cursed legacy my father has bestowed upon us."<br/>"Old God's corruption?" Repeat Tieria. "What legacy-" Tieria paused as she looked at the dragon and then exhaled: "Who are you?"<br/>The dragon did not hesitate in giving his name to the templar:<br/>"I am Wrathion, son of Neltharion."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Conviction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am happy to see some positivity around this story! ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wrathion's crimson eyes roamed the face of the young paladin, while stared at him in disbelief. She stood quietly, almost unblinking; her breathing hastened, locked in the gaze of the Aspect of Death's offspring. Given her puzzled expression - it seemed that the templar had a difficult time grasping in whose presence she was in.</p><p>"Neltharion?" She repeated anxiously. She licked her lips and rose from the bed, taking a couple of steps away from it. "You are Deathwing's son?"</p><p>Wrathion chuckled unamused. Of course, one would react in the manner the templar did. His father's legacy, as well as the actions of the rest of his kin, have ensured that every living soul on Azeroth would be eternally repulsed by a black dragon.<br/>Sadly, the feeling of resentment coming from the mortal races, was something Wrathion has become accustomed to.<br/>The paladin's eyes displayed mixed emotions of fear and uncertainty, and as she continued to stare at the Black Prince - an unsettling silence beckoned within the room.</p><p>Wrathion had elected to break the particular silence, with an explanation he thought the paladin deserved to be aware of:</p><p>"Unlike the others of my kind – <em>I</em> am uncorrupted." He stated slyly. Her expression however, remained distressed, but her forehead furrowed.<br/>"How?" She asked in an accusing tone while crossing her arms. "The Old Gods' corruption spread from Neltharion towards the entire dragonflight."</p><p>The black dragon nodded at the paladin; she spoke the truth – or to be more precise – she was stating obvious facts. And yet, the templar was wrong. Wrathion smirked at her and resumed:<br/>"There are always exceptions; I am that exception." He said arrogantly. "I am an experiment of the red dragonflight. They forced my mother, Nyxondra, to lay eggs in an attempt to purify those eggs from the corruption." Bitterness and anger were heard in his voice while speaking of the red dragonflight. He believed he had managed to surpass those emotions, but it seemed the Black Prince was mistaken.</p><p>Wrathion swallowed deeply and bit his tongue after finishing his sentence, he ignored those unfavorable commotions which dwelled in his mind.</p><p>"What of your mother? Have the red dragons succeeded to purify her as well?" Inquired paladin curiously; the Black Prince noticed her expression softening after learning of his past.<br/>The dragon's grin disappeared from his face; he once again spoke, bitterly:<br/>"No. The red dragonflight was not that kind to her..."</p><p>The templar remained silent, processing what she had just heard. She continued to look at Wrathion with a tint of melancholy in her eyes. Perhaps she was pitying him, which the Black Prince detested. He did not want a pity for any mortal. Especially from the one who had caused trouble by seizing the scale and injuring him.</p><p>Before either of them could continue their conversation - a knock was heard on the door; the attention of the templar and the dragon suddenly became fixated on the sound of knuckle beating against the wood. She walked away from Wrathion and opened the door in a swift pull.</p><p>"How many times I gotta warn ye to keep yer feline beast away from the kitchen's storage?!" Yelled out a woman. Wrathion leaned on his right to get a better view of the opened door, to witness who was addressing the templar so loudly.<br/>A large female human, twice as tall as the paladin, dressed in an orange and brown robe, with a white apron tied around her waist, stood by the entrance. She kept her blonde hair in a chaotic low bun, and her blue eyes glared at the young templar.</p><p>The woman, who Wrathion assumed must be a cook or a servant - given her dusty apron, flour in her hair and greasy hands - slammed a large cat into the paladin's arms, as she continued to vent:<br/>"It ate an entire ham! And knocked off three jars of pickled vegetables! Keep that cat away from my kitchen or I swear I will feed it to the gnolls!" The paladin opened her mouth, but the cook slammed the door behind her with anger, forbidding her to speak and give any sort of explanation or apology.</p><p>The templar blinked surprised at the shut door, while the cat in her arms released a soft meow. She turned to Wrathion with a blush of red embarrassment painted on her cheeks. Clearly, she was no longer troubling herself with the thought of Wrathion's origins, which was perhaps a relief to him.</p><p>But it was certain an odd way to break the tension between her and the dragon.</p><p>The cat began squirming out of the templar arms. The paladin released the feline out of her grasp, and it immediately climbed on the desk which was by the window. It sat next to the glass, gazing at the view of the outside.<br/>Wrathion blinked at the animal. It was a large cat, perhaps a male; with round green eyes, his fur was voluminous and had multiple shades of color, from dark grey to silver patches and some black stripes on his back.</p><p>The feline ignored everyone present in the room, his eyes fixated on the birds from the outside, which were building a nest in the tree next to the window.<br/>After swiftly analyzing the cat, the Black Prince's attention went back to the paladin, as she released a heavy sigh.</p><p>She removed the hair-tie which held her messy ponytail, and began brushing her dark brown hair with her dainty fingers, before tying up her locks once more, this time more neatly.<br/>"I am going to bring some breakfast." Declared the paladin, her voice sounding chirpier than their initial conversation. "I will trust Jenafur to keep an eye on you."</p><p>The cat flickered his ears upon the sound of his name, and that was the only manner he reacted to his owner.<br/>The Black Prince gave a nod to the templar; then he watched as she exited the chamber.</p><p>As soon as she left, the dragon found himself falling on his back and resting on the pillow once more. As much as he desired to simply retrieve the scale and return to his agents – he had no energy. His wound was more severe than he anticipated.<br/>But given that the paladin was not what he predicted; (the fact that she apologized for hurting him and making amends by aiding him in recuperating vastly surprised the dragon). The Black Prince has decided to remain until he has fully recovered. It was madness to even attempt to travel in his state.</p><p>However, Wrathion hoped time would allow him.</p><hr/><p>Patrolling the woods of Western Plaguelands was the most boring task for the draenei Mahariel and her troops.</p><p>Mainly because nothing has been happening for the past years in these lands; except for some cultist activities nearby the once-city of Andorah. Nonetheless, the peacekeeper found the constant skirmishes against cultists repetitive, and even <em>boring</em> at some point.</p><p>As she walked in front of her comrades, mounted on her pink-colored elekk, which was dressed in silver and gold armor, the draenei exhaled loudly. At least it was a sunny day, thus, it was pleasant for Mahariel to feel the warm sun-rays on her blue skin, allowing her to treat this patrol as an early-morning stroll.</p><p>"Stay awake everyone." Encouraged Mahariel when she noticed the sour expressions on the faces of squad members. "Only one more gallop back and forward to the border and we are finished for today."<br/>"W-what is that?" Inquired a female dwarf, as she pointed at the direction of the woods.<br/>Mahariel, alongside the rest of the patrol team, turned their heads where the dwarf pointed at. The draenei's blue eyes widened in shock, for she had never witnessed such a view before.</p><p>A wolf laid on the ground, growling in pain; his fur was enveloped in a dark violet mist. Tentacles were coming out of his ears and his back.<br/>Mahariel and the rest of her squad have nor seen corrupted animals in the Western Plaguelands since the Scourge have been pushed away. However, this particular wolf was ill in an unsettling dreadful way.</p><p>"Wait here." Ordered the draenei while mounting off her elekk. Slowly she placed a hand on the hammer attached to her hip as she walked towards the beast in cautiousness.<br/>The wolf growled and trembled at the sight of Mahariel, he got on his feet and took a couple of steps back. The draenei saw fear in his golden eyes; whatever happened to this beast must have frightened to his core.</p><p>But what <em>did</em> happen to the noble creature? Was it some foul magic the cultists were experimenting?</p><p>Mahariel did not know what to assume; as she stood in front of the wolf, she began to feel his fear gripping her own fear. It was not the animal which caused her that dread – it was something else. It was the ominous shadows and tentacles which enveloped the canine beast that cut away Mahariel's breath.</p><p>
  <em>"Your wakening draws near..."</em>
</p><p>The draenei templar gasped at the echo which rang in her ears. The voice was low and cold, causing her draenei to shiver. She shook her head, as if she attempted to throw the voice out of her head, and focus on the task at hand. Mahariel lifted her hammer high, readying herself to put the wolf out of his misery.<br/>However, the draenei paladin froze with her arm mid-air when she heard one of her soldiers screaming in agony. She turned her head to witness an arrow plunged through the neck of the sin'dorei squire. The dwarf female screamed in shock at the sight of her comrade.</p><p>The blood elf was dead in an instant.</p><p>His body fell off his horse, and a pool of his blood began forming under his severed head. The rest of the squad unsheathed their weapons, their eyes circling the area around, to track down the archer behind this attack. Mahariel walked away from the beast before she could finish the job; she regrouped with her team.<br/>In a blink of an eye, Mahariel's lineup was surrounded by men dressed in black iron armor. Some of them had their heads shielded by either a plate helmet or leather hoods, making it more difficult for Mahariel and the others to learn the identity of their enemies.</p><p><em>"Kill them all!"</em> Yelled out one of the armored warriors.</p><hr/><p>When Tieria returned to her chamber, she found Wrathion out of the bed, standing by her desk. He still wore his unbuttoned shirt on his shoulders, and his curly hair was unkempt.<br/>But the dragon did not bother with his appearance at that moment; he was focused on all the texts and maps which were arranged on Tieria's desk.</p><p>She watched the dragon flipping through a small, dark blue leather journal – which was her own personal recordings of everything she has learnt from the tomes regarding dragons' origins, history and the Dragon Aspects themselves.<br/>It was also her <em>personal</em> diary, which made Tieria glare at the sight of the dragon reading through her personal thoughts.</p><p>"You were not deceiving me when you claimed you know a lot about dragons." Stated Wrathion, as he tore his gaze away from the pages to look at the paladin.<br/>Tieria placed the wooden tray filled with food at the nightstand next to the bed and approached Wrathion. A small smile appeared on the corner of Tieria's lips, she felt pride when she noticed the dragon's stunned expression.</p><p>"For how long have you been studying… <em>Us</em>?" Asked the black dragon while resuming to flip through the pages of her journal. Tieria swiftly placed her hand atop his' and forcefully closed the diary; she took the journal out of his hands in one swift pull.<br/>"For quite some time." She declared while stashing her personal recordings in a drawer of the desk.</p><p>Wrathion could not help but smirk at her, his eyes shined with… Intrigue. This paladin began to interest him the longer he was with her. The tomes she possessed, contained an immense amount of knowledge regarding his species; and it was certainly a challenging read.</p><p>The Black Prince also noticed the various scribbles and information of the mysterious Dragon Isles, laying out of her desk. It seemed that the templar was attempting to uncover the location, or at least proof of the land.<br/>These observations only piqued his interest in this templar. Gradually, he began to understand why she had acquired the scale in the first place.</p><p>"You are more than a mere, little thief, aren't you?" Chuckled the dragon in a melodic tone. The paladin's brows drew together.<br/>"I am not a thief." She declared irritated. "I earned that scale. Much like every single tome and book laying on this desk." After a small pause, the templar sighed and opened the drawer to retrieve a key.</p><p>Her hands gripped the hands of a chest, which rested by the feet of the desk. She lifted it and arranged it on the surface of the table. With certainty, she inserted the key and opened the locked container. The templar pulled out the black scale and spoke:</p><p>"Nonetheless, this does belong to you. There are not many of you left… It is in your right to have what remains of your kin."<br/>Wrathion exhaled in awe; he extended his arms, and with utmost gentleness he took the scale in his hands. His heart began beating rapidly, its speed increasing the longer he examined it.<br/>The dragon had not anticipated the paladin to hand in the scale so easily, without pleading or demanding anything in return.<br/>"That… Is mighty thoughtful of you." Confessed the Black Prince bewildered. He looked at her warmly, partly wondering if there were no strings attached to the templar's kindness. "I… Do not recall learning your name."</p><p>A small smile appeared on her lips as she spoke:<br/>"Tieria."<br/>"<em>Tieria</em>." Wrathion found himself mouthing along, his eyes never resting from roaming her.</p><p>Another pause erupted between the two of them. The Black Prince gently placed the scale on the table, gazing at his blurry silhouette which reflected in the scale.</p><p>"<em>'The truth and virtue of the Light imbued me with the power to revitalize those in the need of it.'</em>" Quoted Wrathion, lifting his gaze at Tieria. She narrowed her eyes when she heard the dragon repeating her words from the previous night.<br/>The dragon reached out to the cat to caress him; but the feline hissed at Wrathion, and jumped away from his sight. He ran towards the extinguished fireplace and climbed on the old, red armchair, curling into the seat.<br/>The Black Prince glared lightly at the cat, then gave a shrug. He began walking towards the bed and taking a seat at the edge of it.</p><p>"Why does a templar, so dedicated to the Light, study dragons?" Wrathion posed the question in a curious tone. He picked the tray of food which Tieria had brought, and rested it on his lap.<br/>The plate was filled with ham, roasted sausages and some bacon; evidently, the templar did not bother to place any vegetables or dairy, given that it did not belong in the common diet for a dragon.<br/>She also brought a large jug of water, for washing away the meal at the end.</p><p>Tieria scoffed lightly at Wrathion's question and crossed her arms:<br/>"What's with the interrogation?" Commented the paladin teasingly. "I thought I was a mere thief to you."<br/>"I am ready to be proven otherwise." Smirked Wrathion and took a bite of a sausage.</p><p>Tieria rolled her eyes and approached the window, while picking up the pipe which laid on a small dish by the edge of the window.</p><p>"I do not know how much information I should divulge to the Aspect of Death's son…" She confessed while opening the window. "Given the fact that, you know… You tried to kill me not even a day ago." Another grin appeared on her face as she continued: "And my cat does not like you."<br/>"I suppose that is fair." Chuckled the black dragon. "But rest assured, I will no longer attempt to harm you. Or you cat."</p><p>Tieria tore her gaze from the dragon. Silently, she lit the pipe and inhaled deeply. The templar released the smoke through her lips, directing her head towards the open window. Then, she looked at Wrathion once again. The dragon ate in silence, it seemed he was hungrier than he anticipated, as he was eating with haste.</p><p>"How did you find me?" Asked Tieria. She laid against the edge of the window, letting the soothing autumn breeze caress her back.<br/>"My agents located you." Replied the dragon in-between chewing.<br/>"Agents?" The templar repeated puzzled.<br/>"I do not work alone." Began Wrathion to explain. "I have various races aiding my cause; as long as they support my endeavors and earn my trust – I reward them richly."</p><p>"Mortal races?" Tieria questioned, albeit the answer to it was obvious. Nonetheless, Wrathion nodded in reply; prompting the templar to continue: "Do you have a garrison somewhere on Azeroth where you gather them?"<br/>"My agents operate throughout the entire world; I assigned them various duties. Two of them were in charge to retrieve the scale. When the scale ended up in your possession, they followed you, and delivered your location to me."<br/>"That's… Unsettling." Confessed Tieria and drew in more smoke out of her pipe.<br/>"I did not expect them to fail to claim the scale; they are far more skilled than that. But then again, I could not foresee myself to be struck down so easily by some paladins."<br/>"You attacked a settlement of the Argent Crusade; what <em>did</em> you expect?" Tieria commented annoyed.</p><p>Wrathion did not reply. He had finished his meal by then, and placed the tray once again on the nightstand. Albeit he did only did short movements, it still irritated his injury, causing him to hiss in discomfort.<br/>Tieria jumped at the sound of his discomfort; the templar removed herself from the window and placed her pipe back on the dish, allowing it to extinguish itself on its own. She approached Wrathion in a hasting pace, taking a seat next to him.</p><p>"Let me see the wound; the bandages have to be changed by now." She ordered calmly. Gently, Tieria removed the shirt off his shoulders, exposing his bare torso to her. Afterwards, the templar began to unwrap the linen bandages from Wrathion.<br/>The Black Prince focused his gaze on Tieria's cat; who jumped off the armchair and was entertaining himself by playing with what seemed to be one of Tieria's hairpin.</p><p>"So, are there more of you?" Began the paladin while attentively examining the dragon's wound.<br/>"Black dragons?"<br/>"<em>Uncorrupted</em> black dragons." Tieria corrected her own question. Her gaze never left his wound; she began cleaning his wound with a cloth dipped in lukewarm water, waiting for Wrathion's reply:</p><p>"There is one - he is named Ebyssian. But he is as fragile to the Old Gods' corruption, much like any other black dragon. I have yet to meet him." Stated the Black Prince; his mind began drifting into a daydream, visualizing himself meeting his 'brother'. Tieria paused from cleaning his wound, lifting her head to Wrathion and giving him a warm smile.<br/>"Then there is hope that more of your kind is somewhere out in the world." She spoke heartily before resuming on healing the dragon. Wrathion did not add to the conversation; longing and hoping for more of uncorrupted black dragons was naïve and childish. He could not afford focusing on such thoughts.</p><p>The Black Prince hissed in pain once more, when felt Tieria's hand pressing too strongly on his wound.<br/>"<em>Shh</em>..." She hushed gently as she placed her palm atop his shoulder. Murmurs calling to the Light escaped lips. Wrathion breathed out in relief, once he felt the warm sensation of the spell.<br/>It was the first time the dragon experienced the touch of the Light upon him. The sensation was… Nothing like he ever imagined. The spell was more than a mere heat surging through his body; it elevated his mind, bringing the dragon in a serene state and eased his heartbeat.</p><p>For the period that Tieria channeled her spell upon him - Wrathion was in absolute peace.</p><p>The dragon sobered to reality, once the paladin removed her hand off him. His eyes roamed, analyzing her features, while Tieria began bandaging his wound with a set of fresh bandages.<br/>Her face was young; she must distinctly be around two-decades old. Her porcelain skin and shining dark brown hair, indicated that the woman was taking well care of her looks.</p><p>It seemed she also had a great liking for wearing trinkets – both of her ears were heavily pierced with two to three silver earrings, much like her left nostril. She also wore a necklace with a golden diamond-shaped stone attached to its silver chain. Decorative golden stones were seen in her hair clip as well.<br/>The templar no longer wore the armored kilt from the day Wrathion encountered her; instead, she wore white breeches and a long velvet shirt, highlighting her slim figure. She was… A curious image, thought the dragon to himself.</p><p>When Tieria had finished bandaging him up, Wrathion found himself reaching out to his shoulder. Fortunately, the burning pain has ceased, but he was certain he would be unable to fly yet.<br/>"Get some rest." Smiled the paladin as she rose from the bed. "You may take the scale and take your leave once you have recovered." Wrathion gave a nod as a sign of gratitude, then as he arranged himself in the bed, the templar once again took her leave.</p><hr/><p>As she exited the keep, Tieria questioned herself if it was wise to let the dragon by himself in her chamber. Regardless, throughout the entire morning, the dragon proved to be harmless and quite an interesting individual to talk to.</p><p>She was certain that he must have some knowledge on the Dragon Isle, and even some curious views on her theory regarding restoring the power of the Aspects.<br/>At least she hoped he would. He could also mock her ideas, claiming mortals should not interfere in dragons' affairs.</p><p>While walking outside through the small streets of Hearthglen, the paladin began wondering if her encounter with an uncorrupted black dragon was fate or simply fool's luck.<br/>Tieria told herself she would reach out to have a deeper conversation with Wrathion after he has managed to have some more rest. She barely knew him, but it was distinctly visible on the dragon's face that the injury has drained much of his strength.</p><p>The templar approached the stables and waved at her friends; greeting them on that fine morning in a cheerful tone. Eleina was busy brushing a chestnut-colored horse, while Caradin sat on a fence enjoying a pear.</p><p>"How's the lizard?" Asked the dwarf as soon as Tieria was before him. The templar rolled her eyes at her friend before speaking:<br/>"Dragon, Caradin. And his name is Wrathion." Elaborated Tieria. Caradin blinked indifferent and took another bite of the pear.</p><p>"Wrathion?" He repeated in-between chewing, drops of the fruit's juice splattered on Caradin's bushy blonde beard. "That does not sound like a dragon name."<br/>"As if you know a lot of dragons, Caradin." Giggled Tieria; she suddenly shut her lips once Eleina approached them both. The dark-haired woman smiled at the paladin.</p><p>"You do not have to hush around me, Tieria. Caradin has told me everything about the dragon." She smiled. Tieria rolled her eyes again and chuckled.<br/>"Of course, he has." The paladin exhaled warmly as she smiled.</p><p>Caradin and Eleina, despite years of knowing each other, have begun an amorous relationship prior the Burning Legion invasion. After nearly losing one another by the hands of the demons, the human and the dwarf have decided they desire to share their entire life together, and have gotten engaged after the demon army was pushed from Azeroth. The wedding was set to occur in summer.<br/>Tieria was witnessing their love for each other growing every day. They hardly left their sides, never kept any secrets between them, and always took care of one another. Tieria has never seen Caradin so ecstatic and filled with love ever since he had Eleina. It warmed the young templar's heart to see such pure and beautiful emotions.</p><p>It reminded her of all the goodness which still persists in this world and it's worth fighting for.</p><p><em>"Your crimes are terrible... Numberless... Glorious..."</em> Echoed the whisper.</p><p>"Tieria?" Called out Caradin. "Ye okay, lass? Ye blackout for a moment there."<br/>"I- I am fine, Caradin." Nodded the templar, blinking rapidly as if snapping to reality. "I thought I… Heard something."</p><p>Tieria and Caradin, alongside Eleina, turned their attention at the commotion which abruptly was heard coming from the gates. From down the hill, they saw people gathering – most of them were Argent Crusade soldiers – which drove Tieria into a small panic.<br/>"What is happenin' this time?" Grunted Caradin while jumping off the fence, tossing his half-eaten pear to the chickens which roamed the stables.<br/>All three of them approached the gates in a haste pace, pushing through the crowd to determine what was causing this loud gathering.</p><p>Tieria gasped at the sight of Justicar Mahariel bleeding on the ground. The draenei had cuts and scratches on her entire body, pieces of her golden armor were missing. She was breathing heavily and kneeling on the hard ground.</p><p>"Mahariel!" Cried Tieria as she rushed to the draenei's side. With help of scout Wyllen, she aided Mahariel to stand. "What happened?"<br/>"We got ambushed…" Reported the draenei wearily. She grunted while holding her arm across her cut abdomen. "I ran to warn you…" Mahariel paused before speaking again. "They plan on attacking Hearthglen."<br/>"Who is behind this?" Caradin demanded information; his face turning red due to the boiling rage which was forming in him. He loathed the sight of his comrades injured - everyone did – but Caradin took it close to his heart, blaming himself for not defending everyone.</p><p>Mahariel spilled out blood instead of giving an answer.<br/>"I don't know… They had, black armor and… Orange eyes on their weapons."<br/>"It doesn't matter who did this. Take her to the infirmary." Ordered Radley. Wyllen nodded and began guiding Mahariel to receive healing.<br/>"Eleina, get the people inside. Ensure no civilian leaves their house until we allow them." Continued the elderly paladin. "The rest of you get ready to defend Hearthglen; gather all the ammunition and weapons you need – we don't know their numbers."</p><p>As the Argent Crusade warriors began to carry out the order, Tieria stood frozen in place. Her eyes widened after hearing Mahariel's description of the enemy. <em>"Black armor decorated with orange eyes."</em></p><p>The depiction of the attire sounded similar to the two rogues who attacked her and Wrathion in the previous night. Those cultists or whatever order they took part of, had clearly only one target – they did not care for Hearthglen – they only cared to get to Wrathion, regardless of who stayed in their way.</p><p>Caradin approached Tieria, his bushy eyebrows furrowed in anger.<br/>"<em>Wrathion</em>." Tieria mumbled to herself in shock upon realizing these attackers were most likely after the dragon.<br/>"Lass, we've had no attack fer ages. And now-" Began Caradin but was immediately interrupted by Tieria:<br/>"They're after Wrathion." Breathed Tieria shocked, recalling the night before. Chances were that the cultists brought reinforcements.<br/>"Stay at the gates, I will go after him." Pleaded Tieria. The paladin did not take a second longer, with her entire speed, she rushed inside the keep, ignoring Caradin calling after her.</p><hr/><p>Tieria ran through the hallways of the keep; she was so distracted with reaching to the dragon, that she did not notice any of her surroundings – particularly the lack of the guards in the keep. Only when she reached the third floor, where her chamber was, she noticed that the patrol guardsmen were lying unconsciously on the ground.</p><p>The templar knelt in front of the tauren, she removed his helmet while examining him. There were no visible wounds besides a large bump on his heavily furred head.<br/>Before Tieria could do anything else, she felt a pair of cold hands around her neck. She gasped for air as the fingers of her foe were wrapping tightly around her soft neck. She failed to view the attacker, but the accent of the strangler gave Tieria an indication that she was fighting against a jungle troll:</p><p>"Give us the dragon unless ya' want ta' end up like the rest of ya' friends." Hissed the female.<br/>Tieria was trying to break free from the troll's grasp. She began channeling a light spell but was interrupted when she heard screaming; suddenly – the troll's hands were no longer chaining her down.</p><p>The templar immediately turned to see the female troll on the ground, bleeding out of her back.<br/>Wrathion stood atop the enemy, breathing heavily and holding Tieria's sword in his right hand. Piercing the weapon into the troll has caused his wound to open, the dragon knelt on the ground while reaching out to his bleeding shoulder.</p><p>"You are not safe here." Breathed Tieria while kneeling in front of the Black Prince. "More of them are coming to Hearthglen."<br/>"They will kill everyone in this town to get me." Gritted Wrathion between his teeth.<br/>"I will allow that; we have to drive them out of here." Grunted Tieria as she got on her feet.<br/>"<em>We</em>?" Repeat Wrathion, his crimson eyes widening in surprise. "You are going at great length to aid me."</p><p>"I am not aiding only you. I am aiding Hearthglen; this place has been through enough." Declared Tieria, she extended her hand to help Wrathion to stand up. "Stay in my chamber; barricade the door and the windows, I'll ensure they won't reach you."</p><p>The dragon released a chuckle before shaking his head. The sense of justice and the desire of defending those in need, was burning strongly in this paladin's soul. Wrathion found it both endearing and respectable. However, he was the Black Prince, son of Neltharion – he cannot be so easily defeated by some lowly sociopaths.</p><p>"I am not a damsel in distress." Laughed the dragon. "I can fight my own battles."<br/>Tieria looked at him unconvinced, her eyes roamed on his wounded shoulder. Time was at the essence – she could not afford arguing with him.<br/>"Very well. Just… Be careful." She pleaded softly while handing Wrathion a steel sword with a golden handle, which belonged to the unconscious guard.</p><hr/><p>The citizens of Hearthglen were looking out their windows confused and frightened. The Argent Crusade champions have ordered them to stay inside without delivering an explanation.</p><p>However, the reason for the commotion has shown itself swiftly – cultists began climbing the side walls. The black armored soldiers barged into every house, threatening people in their own houses to stay out of their way.<br/>The intruders, who had the luck to avoid the Argent Crusade soldiers, began searching through every room, basement and even large closets.</p><p>"Tieria!" Addressed Caradin as soon as he saw Tieria exiting the keep. He approached her with Eleina right behind him. "We managed to push 'em weirdos back from the gates but they are climbing on our walls"<br/>"Worse." Sighed Tieria. "One of them was already inside the keep, dazing the guards." The templar took a small pause to breath in before speaking again. "Push them back! Ensure no citizen is harmed."</p><p>"We should keep one of them alive for interrogation." Added Wrathion.<br/>"So, yer the reptile who's causing all of this?" Accused Caradin while sizing up the dragon. The Black Prince set his jaw in a hard line. He glared at Caradin and spoke in a mocking tone:<br/>"Ah yes, the dwarf that has struck me. I expected you to sound like an uneducated murloc."<br/>"Wanna get another arrow, eh?" Growled Caradin while tightening the axe in his hand "This time I won't miss that stupid head of yours."</p><p>"Hey!" Intervened Tieria by taking a step between the dragon and the dwarf. "This is highly unnecessary, from the both of you." Scolded the paladin while glaring at the dragon and the dwarf. "We have people to defend!"<br/>"Watch out!" Cried Eleina as she realized an orc rogue was jumping off the roofing and charging down into their direction with two sharp daggers in his hands. Tieria and the rest leaped aside, save from Wrathion, who extended his unharmed arm towards the orc and blasted magma fire out of his hand.</p><p>The orc incinerated on the spot and mere pieces of burnt flesh collapsed on the ground. Tieria blinked surprised; somehow- she has managed to forget that black dragons can breathe and cast fire.<br/>The paladin allowed herself one moment to recuperate before giving out the order:<br/>"Spread out!"</p><p>While many of the Argent Crusade soldiers were defending at the gates of Heathglen, Tieria and the rest of her group remained in the center of the town, attacking the cultists who dared to jump over the walls.<br/>Rogues of various races, dressed in black leather with orange eyes sewed on their belts, gauntlets and even shoulderpads, were charging to Wrathion. In the moment that they caught the sight of the Black Prince.</p><p>Tieria always leaped to his defense; consecrating the ground beneath them. And imbuing her sword with holy power, slashing the masked enemies without hesitation.<br/>Wrathion, despite his injury, succeeded to dodge and parry the attacks.</p><p>It was much easier to fight off the cultists with Caradin and Eleina by their side.<br/>Caradin screamed in a taunt as chopped off a human's arm with his axe and spun around slashing every foe left and right, meanwhile Elaine shot relentlessly with her rifle.</p><p>The Light has blessed Hearthglen that day – their enemies were few in numbers. It seemed the black armored soldiers underestimated the power and strength of the Argent Crusade.</p><p>The cultists were falling one by one; the Argent Crusade gave no mercy. After years of battling the Scourge and other foes who seek destruction upon Azeroth, the members of the holy order have developed a heart of iron and unbreakable will.<br/>Radley's charge with the ballista was the seal which ended the cultists' attack – once they realized that they are outnumbered - the black armored men began to retreat.</p><p>"Your victory is all but temporarily." Hissed a female human at Tieria and her group. "Soon, our Master shall rise! And you all-" Her head snapped from her shoulders before she could finish her threatening speech. Tieria glared at the cultist she has just decapitated, frowning at the words she has just heard.</p><p>The paladin turned to Wrathion, as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, she heard Wyllen's voice from behind her.<br/>"They are retreating." Reported the young scout as he ran up to Tieria and the group. "Should we go after them?"<br/>"Nay, lad." Caradin shook his golden head. "As long as they are out of our territory – they aren't our trouble anymore. Let's clean up."</p><hr/><p>That late afternoon, Hearthglen had the task of cremating their dead enemies and healing the wounded.</p><p>Tieria found herself sitting at the edge of the mountain which was located in the center of the town. She stared at her comrades as they gathered the corpses of the slain cultists.<br/>Wrathion stood further from her, gazing emptily at the shining water which was cascading from the fountain.</p><p>"I apologize, Tieria." Came out Eleina's voice. Tieria lifted her head to look up at the stablemaster. "We have failed to kidnap one of them alive."<br/>Tieria lowered her head and gave a weak shrug.<br/>"Do not worry, Eleina." Sighed the templar. Eleina nodded at Tieria and returned to Caradin, helping him push a carriage of corpses.</p><p>"These people will not take it well when they learn that I brought this attack on them." Stated Tieria quietly to the dragon.<br/>"I am afraid they will not cease their attacks while I am here, they will attempt again." Replied Wrathion calmly.<br/>"<em>Why</em>?" The templar asked in an accusing tone. She rose to face Wrathion, her features hardened by her confusion and weariness. "Why are they after you? Who are these cultists?"<br/>"A glimpse of N'Zoth's mind-controlling power."</p><p>Tieria narrowed her eyes at Wrathion once she heard his answer. Her attention briefly went away, when she noticed those who passed by her, gave weird glances to her and the Black Prince.<br/>The dragon was obviously dressed unusually, and his appearance was bizarre for the common folk of Hearthglen.</p><p>Hence, Tieria gestured to the dragon to follow her inside the keep. They returned to her chamber, where Jenafur was sleeping on the bed, on the spot where the sunways shined upon. He purred peacefully in his sleep as he bathed in the warm sunlight. It was amusing how the animal did not know that there was an attack right outside the keep.</p><p>"<em>N'Zoth</em>?" Repeated Tieria once they were in her chamber; albeit, she still spoke in a whisper. "As in the Old God? The one who has been imprisoned beneath the darkest depths of the ocean for millennia beyond counting?"</p><p>The knowledge of the Old Gods' and their origin was one of the biggest mysteries in Azeroth. And only those who fought at the heart of the Scourge war or the Burning Legion invasion, knew of the ancient beings.<br/>Tieria possessed very little information of the Black Empire and its leaders; but she knew their names and she knew that many of them were either slain or shackled in the depths of the earth.</p><p>"Certain… <em>Actions</em>, executed by the Horde and the Alliance have weakened his prison." Began explaining Wrathion in a collected manner, unlike Tieria who spoke in haste. He noticed she clenched her jaw upon hearing the involvement of the two, ever-battling factions. "It is a matter of time until he resurfaces on Azeroth."<br/>"These… Followers of N'Zoth, do they want to turn you into a weapon?" Tieria's eyes flickered as she began putting everything together. It was the only plausible reason as to why the forces of the Old God would chase after an uncorrupted black dragon. To bring Wrathion into the grasp of their Master and have him fall into His whispers.</p><p>"I am weak to N'Zoth's corruption." Confessed the black dragon bitterly. "But I refuse to relent. A reason why I was so agile in recovering the scale was to ensure N'Zoth would not attempt to lay a trap for me by using it."<br/>Tieria stood silent and crossed her arms. Wrathion noticed that the paladin was soaking in everything she had just learnt.<br/>"What were you intending on doing after recovering the scale?" Inquired Tieria.</p><p>"Hail to Silithus to warn Speaker Magni of the upcoming threat… And have the people of Azeroth aid me in ending N'Zoth, before he can even attempt to corrupt me." The Black Prince spoke with certainty in his voice.<br/>"What happens… If you do fall to the Old God's corruption?" Tieria asked timidly while staring on the ground. Wrathion stood silent at first before answering in a grim tone:<br/>"I will follow in my father's footsteps."</p><p>
  <em>Another Cataclysm.</em>
</p><p>Tieria gasped voicelessly at the response. Azeroth was already suffering by the sword of the Dark Titan plunged in its heart; this world would not survive the fires of another black dragon, maddened by the whispers of the Old Gods.</p><p>And even <em>if</em> another Deathwing would rise – the Alliance and the Horde would be too busy fighting each other, instead of fighting for the safety of the world– at least Tieria believed that. And with the Dragon Aspects no longer having their Titan gifted powers, Azeroth had no guardians. A second Cataclysm would be its doom.</p><p>Tieria lifted her eyes at Wrathion, her anger has faded away and she attempted to swallow the dreadful thoughts of world-ending.<br/>"You are saying you will do everything in your power to stop N'Zoth?"<br/>"<em>Everything</em>." Nodded Wrathion while gritting his teeth.<br/>Tieria bit her lower lip and gave the dragon a nod. Determination was shining in her dark eyes.<br/>"Then I will stand by your side, son of Neltharion."</p><hr/><p>Tieria exited the keep once again; this time, she was dressed in her gold and bronze armor and kilt. A large satchel rested on her shoulder, and her sword was attached on her back. The templar carried Jenafur in her arms, with Wrathion following her to the stables.</p><p>"Lass?" Addressed Caradin, confused to see his friend all of the sudden dressed in her armor.<br/>"Eleina, hand me a hippogryph." Ordered Tieria rigid. The black-haired woman looked puzzled at the templar, then turned to Caradin, who gave her a shrug in reply. "I am leaving for Kalimdor with Wrathion." Stated Tieria.</p><p>"What?!" Complained the dwarf loudly. "I understand him leavin', but you too? What for?"<br/>"Remember how you said that we, the Argent Crusade, still have battles to fight?" Inquired Tieria rhetorically. "Well, I found my battle."</p><p>Tieria's answer did not ease Caradin's confusion. He looked worryingly at her friend then he looked up at Wrathion. Before he could voice any complaint, Caradin felt Tieria's hand on his shoulder.<br/>"The world is in grave danger, again." Said Tieria sorrowfully. She gently gave Jenafur to Caradin. "Take care of Jenafur while I am away."</p><p>Caradin held the cat in his arms tenderly, his blue eyes displayed worriedness. The feline did not protest resting in the dwarf's embrace. Caradin knew that arguing with Tieria was futile; the moment this girl would set on doing something – nobody could stop her.</p><p>"When will ye be back, lass?" Caradin could not refrain from asking. Tieria glanced at Wrathion as if she expected him to answer for her, but the dragon remained silent.<br/>"I don't know..." She confessed, but gave a smile in reassurance. "I will definitely return for the wedding."</p><p>The dwarf released an empty chuckle and grinned at his friend. He watched as Eleina approached with the reins of a white hippogryph and gave it to Tieria. The paladin immediately placed the satchel on its back. Eleina gazed at Tieria with sorrow and reached out to grab her hand. The two women pulled for a short, warm embrace.</p><p>"Good luck, Tieria." Whispered Eleina.<br/>"Be safe, lass." Added Caradin, Tieria hugged the dwarf as well while he continued to speak: "And come back as soon as you can." Pleaded the dwarf. Tieria nodded along to everything Caradin said, while choking back tears.</p><p>Wrathion silently watched as the paladin had a heartful separation from her friends. His eyes widened when the dwarf made eye contact with him.</p><p>"Ye better not harm her, dragon." Glared Caradin at Wrathion. The dragon released an annoyed sigh and smirked at the dwarf.<br/>"I cannot guarantee you safety on this hippogryph if you intend to cross the ocean." Sighed Eleina as she petted the feathery head of the hippogryph. "I am afraid my hippogryphs do not have such strength."</p><p>Tieria and Wrathion exchanged looks, while contemplating the wisest choice of reaching their destination.<br/>"There are other ways to travel the waters." Stated the dragon. "I believe the hippogryph can at least fly us to Menethil Harbor, am I correct?"</p><p>Tieria looked at Wrathion, feeling her knees weaken when she realized what the dragon spoke of. The thought of going through that particular experience again formed a knot in her stomach. The templar blinked at the dragon and sighed in loud distress before speaking:</p><p>"<em>Please</em> don't tell me we're taking a ship…"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Edge In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A powerful storm enveloped the Great Sea of Azeroth, causing waves of salty sea-water to hit the large ship with all its mighty strength.</p><p>The sails blew its fabric against the thundering wind; the captain was giving his hardest to remain on the course, and his sailors were making the greatest effort to keep the passengers of the ship calm by offering everyone a warm drink and a satisfying meal.<br/>In Captain Anso's heart, and the hearts of his crewmen – the gnome marine knew this was mere foul weather, nothing that the '<em>Wavestrider</em>' could not break through. He merely hoped that the humble travelers who were aboard his ship, journey to Kalimdor, would not cower in fear due to this undesirable weather.</p><p>Fortunately, most of those who boarded the '<em>Wavestrider</em>' from Menethil Harbor have been serene so far; couples with children, merchants, historians, even some militias have resigned in each of the rooms below the decks, waiting for the storm to wail out and arrive at their destination.</p><p>However, this was Tieria's worst nightmare; and the templar could not rest comfortably unlike the rest of the travelers.</p><p>Being embarked on a ship was dreadful enough for the young paladin, but traveling on the vessel amidst a powerful storm felt like torment for her.<br/>She laid on a small bed below the deck, groaning as her seasickness caused a migraine and nausea feeling. The paladin began removing her shoulderpads and gauntlets to lay more comfortably on the hay and linen mattress. Carefully as not to damage the armor pieces, she gently placed them at the foot of the bed.</p><p>It has been only three hours since Tieria and Wrathion have landed in Wetlands, in the newly rebuilt Menethil Harbor, and took the ship sailing to the town of Gadgetzan, in Tanaris, in the south of Kalimdor.<br/>They have exchanged little words since then, mainly due to the fact that Tieria was focused on morally preparing herself for another ship ride, while Wrathion was still weakened from his shoulder injury, and was in a foul mood.</p><p>Once on ship, the Black Prince reserved two separate rooms for him and the templar. He informed Tieria that he intends to discuss their plans in Tanaris at a later time on that day, leaving the paladin to rest by herself in a small chamber on the lower decks of the '<em>Wavestrider</em>'.</p><p>"I need a drink." Mumbled Tieria to herself as she rose out of the bed. She walked towards the modest wooden desk, where her satchel was, and reached out for a tiny purse of coins, grabbing a number of silvers and coppers which would be enough to buy a decent tasting ale.<br/>As soon as she opened the door to leave the room, Tieria jumped slightly in surprise.</p><p>"<em>Oh</em>!" Blinked the paladin, unexpected to find the black dragon standing by her doorstep in his half-elven form. "Can I help you with something?" Inquired Tieria confused; she watched Wrathion entering the chamber freely.<br/>"Merely checking up on you." He stated with a smirk on his face. "You have been looking lifeless since we have arrived in Menethil Harbor."<br/>"Thank you for your compliment." Chuckled Tieria sarcastically.</p><p>She opened her mouth to speak again but swiftly covered it with her palm. The templar felt another wave of seasickness traveling through her body. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, while taking in deep breaths.<br/>Wrathion examined her attentively as he stepped closer to Tieria. She waved her hand at him and spoke:</p><p>"I am fine." Reassured the paladin, as soon as she noticed the dragon's bewildered expression. "I simply cannot handle the waters."<br/>Once she no longer felt nauseous, Tieria swallowed and forced a small smile on her lips, then she shifted the topic of the conversation:<br/>"Have you gotten in contact with your agents as you intended to do?"<br/>"I have." Nodded the dragon while attempting to not dwell over the paladin's wellbeing. "Two of my agents will meet with us in Gadgeztan. While they are waiting for our arrival, they are tasked to secure a manner flying transportation that would allow us to fly over Un'Goro Crater, towards Silithus."</p><p>"<em>Silithus</em>." Thought Tieria.</p><p>The uninhabited desert that once housed the great Aqiri empire, Ahn'Qiraj; and recently - after the end of the third invasion of the Burning Legion - the land of Silithus was completely devastated by the Dark Titan Sargeras after he impaled his sword into the center of the desert, causing such a great damage to Azeroth, that the world has <em>literally</em> began to bleed out.<br/>Despite Sargeras being struck down, the Titan's sword remained impaled. And so far, – nobody and nothing on Azeroth was able to heal the great wound.</p><p>Tieria visited Silithus, along Caradin, quite soon after its destruction occurred. The templar has spent some time in that area with the Cenarion Circle and the Earthen Ring. Together, the organizations attempted to uncover a way to remove the Titanic weapon; but sadly, every action was futile.<br/>It caused great pain to Tieria to witness her own world falling apart.</p><p>This when the young paladin realized Azeroth needs the Dragon Aspects returned in their prime – now more than ever. Who else would be fitter to save the world, than its own guardians? Thus, she has set in her heart to uncover the mysteries of the Titans and the dragons, in order to restore their power.</p><p>Tieria looked at Wrathion and gave him a nod as a sign that she approved of his plan. It was not as if she could provide any addition to the strategy – especially given how lousy she felt due to the seasickness. All she wanted now was a drink to put her to sleep until they reach their destination.<br/>Noticing the weariness in her eyes, the dragon took a step closer to the paladin and addressed her:</p><p>"Is there any sort of remedy that you use to last through such trips?"<br/>"Not in particular…" Mumbled Tieria, her cheeks flushing pink while thinking of her '<em>unorthodox</em>' method of treating her seasickness.<br/>The templar glanced up at Wrathion, who awaited an answer.</p><p>"Alcohol." Tieria stated plainly. "The stronger, the better." She shrugged while giving the reason: "It relaxes my muscles, and aids me to fall asleep swiftly."<br/>"I suppose this can be easily arranged." Chuckled the black dragon and paced outside the room. Leaving Tieria staring bewildered at the shut door. Given his phrasing, the templar has decided to remain inside the chamber.</p><p>Wrathion emerged once again in Tieria's chamber in a short time, carrying two glasses and a dark colored jug in his hands.<br/>"Albeit the choices are limited on this ship; I am certain bourbon might be effective in driving you into slumber." Spoke the dragon as he analyzed the text imprinted on the jug.<br/>"<em>Two</em> glasses?" Pointed out Tieria curiously while watching the dragon placing the slim glasses on the modest nightstand.</p><p>The templar has never heard of dragons drinking alcohol, or any other kind of alcohol beverage at that matter.<br/>"Dragons drink alcohol?" She has decided to inquire.<br/>"In our natural form? Hardly." Replied Wrathion as he began pouring the cinnamon brown liquid in each of the glasses. "But in our humanoid form - some of us do take the advantage of enjoying certain activities which the mortal races practice."<br/>"Truly?" Giggled Tieria curiously, while rearranging herself on the edge of the bed. "Any manner of activity? Like taking a swim for example?"</p><p>Wrathion shrugged lazily while pacing around the small room, he spoke before taking a sip of his drink:<br/>"If it is a hot day, I fail to see why not."<br/>Tieria remained smiling at Wrathion, while pondering on what else she could ask the dragon. She reached out to the glass on the nightstand, and took a quaff of the bourbon, savoring its bitter but simultaneously, sweet taste.</p><p>"How about eating desserts?" Inquired the paladin. Wrathion snatched the back of a chair which rested in the chamber, dragging it in front of the bed. He sat down, facing Tieria as he spoke:<br/>"I find myself carving the pandaren sweet rice buns on occasion." Confessed the dragon slyly, which for some reason, caused the templar to giggle.<br/>The dragon found himself amused by her enthusiasm. He watched as Tieria pursued to think of what else she could quiz him. The smile ever persisted on her lips.<br/>"Dancing?" She asked in-between a small chuckle. "Or to be more accurate: spending time at a festival?"<br/>"Some mortal races throw exquisite celebrations. Midsummer Fire Festival, in particular, is my favorite."</p><p>Tieria brought the glass to her lips. Having such an engaging conversation with the dragon, and drinking 'not-that-bad' bourbon has certainly lifted the templar spirit and eased her seasickness. Her eyes roamed Wrathion as one… Peculiar thought occurred in her mind. She hesitated at first, but she hastily changed her mind.</p><p>"What about… <em>Coitus</em>?" Queried the templar daringly.<br/>Wrathion's lips curled into an alluring smirk while his red eyes began roaming Tieria; as if he analyzed every inch of her body: starting from her crossed legs, towards her revealed abdomen then her slim neck. Finally, his gaze rested at her mouth.<br/>The dragon took a sip out of his glass then licked his dark lips.<br/>"Perhaps…" He confessed in a sensual tone. "If the mortal is… <em>Intriguing</em> enough."</p><p>Tieria felt her cheeks burning in intense blush, and goosebumps forming on her skin because of Wrathion's soothing voice. The dragon has certain handsome features in his half-elven forms, she has never hesitated to notice someone's appealing appearance. And the young paladin was honest to herself about the fact that she is open to be charmed by a male <em>(or even female)</em> of any humanoid race.</p><p>Although, certain events in Tieria's life have caused the templar to avoid seeking an amorous relationship for quite some time now. Often, she acted on her lust; laying with a seductive stranger for one night of passion. But the morning after would fill her with a feeling of emptiness. But the loneliness was hard to bear sometimes, thus, she did not allow regrets.</p><p>Wrathion finished the drink remarkably quick, and immediately refilled his glass.<br/>"Well, now that I have clenched your thirst for learning activities dragons enjoy." Chuckled the dragon, his sly smirk remained on his face. "You have yet to answer my question from much earlier… Why is a templar interested in Dragon Isle? What do you hope to find?"</p><p>Tieria bit her lower lip; she tore her gaze away from the dragon. She searched in her mind for the right words.<br/>In the meantime, the templar purposely took a long sip, making the alcohol swiftly run through her head which would force her body to become drained quicker.</p><p>"I have seen so much death and ruin." Began Tieria quietly, telling herself there is no reason to hold back the truth to a dragon, who she so desperately is trying to save. "And I have studied Azeroth's history for a long time now. I know how crucial the dragons are to the world. Without them... Without <em>you</em>... I fear that our world will not stand." She exhaled melancholic and gently brushed away her side bangs away from her right eye before resuming to speak:</p><p>"I think that the Dragon Isles is the land where the Titans have granted the Aspect their powers; hence I believe that the lost shore might still possess the essence of the Titans. Their powers could be harnessed to rejuvenate the ailing Dragon Aspects and their flights. Granting the dragons to be able to reproduce once more."<br/>The templar looked at Wrathion but could not read the expression in his eyes.</p><p>"I suppose you find it foolish for a mortal to set upon such a task." Tieria let out a cynical chortle at the end when she noticed the dragon's silence.<br/>"Not at all." Replied Wrathion after swallowing his drink. "I do not know how I feel towards your attitude… But I certainly do not find it foolish." The dragon chuckled, as his gaze softened at the templar. "I have rarely stumbled upon such... Kindness."<br/>"I understand where it's coming from." Nodded Tieria and gave a melancholic smile. "Black dragons aren't… The most favorite beings on Azeroth."<br/>Wrathion laughed emptily and stared down at his drink.<br/>"Certainly not." He stated simply.</p><p>Tieria glanced down at the bottom of her glass as well, and chugged down the remaining of the bourbon.<br/>The strong rain was heard dropping against the ship, the waves were echoing. But silence delved into the small wooden room.</p><p>"Given your desire to aid dragons..." The Black Prince broke the stillness. "Are you acquainted with any of them?" The templar shook her head gently while pouring herself a second glass.<br/>"I have met some red dragons during my campaign in Northrend." Stated Tieria, once her glass was half full with the alcoholic drink. "And as part of the Argent Crusade, I also took part in aiding the Dragon Aspects in the battle at the Wyrmrest Temple against-" The templar bit her tongue when she realized who she was about to mention.</p><p>"Deathwing." Wrathion finished her sentence for her. He pronounced the corrupted name of his father quite… Harsh and cold. It caused the templar to theorize that Deathwing's offspring held little love for the Aspect of Death.<br/>"To answer your question:" Tieria resumed "I <em>have</em> encountered dragons, but I have never befriended one; and certainly haven't spoken to any of them of my plan regarding the Dragon Isle."<br/>"And I believe they would intend to stop you from completing your quest, if you did tell them." Wrathion said with confidence while gritting his teeth. Something felt heavy in Tieria's heart upon hearing the black dragon's sentence.</p><p>The templar has made peace with the fact that her close friends, such as Caradin or Elaine, would not approve of her 'insane' plan; and perhaps many mortal races would feel the same.<br/>But learning of the fact that not even the dragons themselves would support Tieria's journey, made her wonder whenever or not the templar should continue with the search for the Dragon Isles.</p><p>"However," Wrathion continued, causing her to snap to reality. "Stumbling upon a paladin set on such a curious search is an amusing coincidence." The sly smirk once again appeared on his lips. "It seems our fates have… Intertwined."<br/>"It seems indeed." Chuckled Tieria while returning her smile. She could not help but wonder if fate has guided her into the claws of this dragon.</p><p>Another silence has befallen between Wrathion and Tieria. The templar felt the alcohol finally catching up, driving her into a sleepy state; and the dragon caught an eye of it.<br/>Noticing his gaze upon her, Tieria gave him another smile, which the Black Prince found himself returning. He placed his empty glass on the nightstand and rose from the chair.</p><p>"Wrathion." Addressed the paladin softly. As Wrathion's hand reached the door knob, he turned to Tieria to listen. "May I ask... Since you have mentioned that you hatched under the eyes of the red dragonflight… You have never met your father in person, have you?"<br/>"No." Replied the dragon simply. "I have not had that opportunity – whenever it is fortunate or not – I cannot say." Wrathion raised an eyebrow, curious at Tieria's inquiry. "Why do you ask?"<br/>"I am merely wondering… Deathwing is-" Tieria bit her lower lip while trying to think of proper words; but she found it impossible to speak her sentence without making it sound ruthless. "vastly hated across the world for the damage he has done. How do you feel towards him?"</p><p>The dragon was silent at first; and as before – Tieria could not read his expression. She saw in his crimson eyes a mix of emotions; anger, confusion, even guilt. He remained quiet for a while; but eventually he gave the templar an answer:<br/>"I have no love for my father, whose corruption destroyed my race." The Black Prince confessed; his tone was calm, but Tieria saw a flicker of unease in his eyes. "I only wish he would at least <em>attempt</em> to fight back the madness, instead of succumbing to it so easily."</p><p>Tieria lowered her head as she soaked in Wrathion's words. Her brows drew together when she analyzed what the dragon has just said; then she spoke:<br/>"You do not know if that is the truth." Accused the paladin softly. "Neltharion might have fought his hardest against the Old Gods' corruption."<br/>Wrathion laughed emptily and shook his head at her.<br/>"No, dear templar." The dragon chuckled darkly. "As the Earth-Warder, Neltharion began feeling that his duties of protecting the world were a burden, and that he must bear it alone. The moment the Old Gods saw that weakness in his heart – they seized the opportunity to corrupt him; and Neltharion did not fight back. He agreed to serve the Old Gods because he believed they would free him from that burden."</p><p>Noticing the templar's silence, Wrathion has decided to end what he thought was a futile conversation. He did not desire to speak of the past no longer. Instead, focus on the task at hand.<br/>The black dragon opened the door and took a step forward, yet once again, he was stopped from walking when he heard Tieria's voice:</p><p>"And you believe you will not share the same fate as him?" She inquired timidly; still seated on the edge of the bed with the glass in her hand.<br/>"My destiny will be my own." Concluded the Black Prince. Then, he turned to Tieria and gave her another canny smile. "Rest well, templar."</p><p>Tieria stared at the closed door, collecting her thoughts after the conversation with the black dragon. He certainly had some interesting views; and she has enjoyed the time with him.<br/>But something inside her was whispering that Wrathion had a lot of troubled thoughts in his mind; she certainly felt that by discussing Deathwing, the templar has opened certain wounds. Guilt suddenly surged through Tieria; and as she went to sleep, she found herself hoping that she did not put a strain on her newly formed relationship with the black dragon.</p><hr/><p>The next morning, Wrathion knocked on the door of the chamber Tieria rested in, but no sound came out; which forced the dragon to search for his traveling companion on the upper decks.<br/>To his luck, she was there – standing by the head of the ship among other travelers. The Black Prince approached her in silence, watching as she inhaled from her pipe.</p><p>The templar smiled at the sight of the dragon and gestured her head at the horizon. The lively, ivory color of her skin has returned on her face and she certainly looked in a far better mood than in the previous night.<br/>"Gadgetzan is on the horizon." Declared Tieria; a distinct relief was heard in her voice. Perhaps the templar was delighted to be mere moments away from getting off the waters. Wrathion fixated his gaze towards the horizon, admiring the view of the large goblin city rising out of the northern Tanaris desert - the capital of the Steamwheedle Cartel.</p><p>If one would desire to earn a coin or earn a reputation – Gadgetzan was the place to be.</p><p>Some of the best goblin engineers, miners and alchemists plied their trade here. The goblins believed in profit above loyalty, thus Gadgetzan was always considered a neutral territory during any Horde-Alliance conflict.<br/>Anyone with a fat wallet or good services to offer was welcomed in Gadgetzan. The government officially recognized the goblin neutrality as its golden law; and for those who didn't - the streets were heavily patrolled by goblin bruisers ready to pound to a pulp anyone disrupting their trade by instigating conflict.</p><p>Last time Tieria was in the city was years ago. Prior to the Cataclysm, which much like other places in Azeroth, caused some onerous damage.<br/>The templar was awed by how large the goblin city has grown in the past years. It was probably twice, or even three times bigger than before. It was oddly… <em>Inspiring</em> to see what a valuable job the goblins have done with the city. Clearly, a lot of investment went in Gadgetzan; which was curious, given how greedy the goblins were by nature.</p><p>Tieria and Wrathion began getting off the ship before anyone else managed to. The dragon walked in front of the templar, marching confident; while Tieria was admiring the unusual view of the goblin city.<br/>Various races were roaming the docks and streets of Gadgetzan; each of them traveling for different reasons. Some were here to attempt to make a sale, others came here for pure exploration of south Kalimdor. Tieria also noticed the unusual amount of kaldorei swarming in the city; which could mean only one thing – they were refugees coming from the ruined land of Teldrassil.</p><p>As Wrathion and Tieria were approaching one of the entrances into the main streets of the city, Tieria caught the eye of a female night elf staring at them. She was taller for an average kaldorei; her long, silky jade hair was clasped in a ponytail. Unlike the rest of her kin, this particular kaldorei had no markings on her dark purple face, instead a hideous large scar was imprinted underneath her left eye.<br/>The black and dark blue leather armor, two sets of daggers around her waist and small vials tied in every opening and pocket of her attire indicated that the elven woman might be a skilled rogue.</p><p>The kaldorei removed herself from the wooden pillar and began approaching Wrathion and Tieria. The paladin stopped at the sight of the rogue approaching them; instinctively, she slowly reached out to the hilt of her sword. But immediately ceased from her defensive state when she heard the night elf speak:<br/>"It is good to see you safe, my Lord." Bowed the leather-dressed kaldorei to the Black Prince. She blinked at Tieria, then once again directed her silver shining eyes at Wrathion.<br/>Wrathion gave a small nod to the night elf as a greeting, which made Tieria theorize that she must be one of his agents, whom he mentioned that would greet them.</p><p>A '<em>Blacktalon</em>' - as the black dragon titled his agents.</p><p>"Are all the arrangements prepared?" Asked the dragon, without bothering to introduce Tieria to his agent. The night elf clenched her jaw and hesitated to give an answer. Wrathion's eyes narrowed at her silence.<br/>"I have arranged a room in the tavern for you, my lord." Explained the kaldorei after an unusual pause. "Follow me, and we shall discuss the details inside."</p><p>Tieria noticed anger displayed on Wrathion's face. Given the unusual hesitation and even the sudden change in her body language, it was clear that the agent had some unpleasant news to deliver, and she was attempting to stretch out the time until she had to speak of them.<br/>Nonetheless, the Black Prince made no commentary; he began following the agent with Tieria right behind him.</p><p>The Blacktalon agent took Wrathion and Tieria to one of the taverns located on the outskirts of the city. Despite it being early noon, the inn was filled with people having a drink, gambling or simply having a small smoking break.</p><p>The innkeeper, who was a large jungle troll, wearing a tunic in an unusual bright shade of purple, recognized the night elf agent and gave her a wave. The kaldorei greeted the innkeeper with a nod, and proceeded to walk until the end of the inn, through a long hallway. Eventually she stopped before a door located at the end of the corridor.<br/>With an iron key, she unlocked the door and took a step aside to allow Wrathion and Tieria enter first.</p><p>Once the black dragon entered the room, he began examining his surroundings.<br/>The chamber had a king-sized bed, with velvet sheets and four pillows; multiple carpets made out of furs of various animals were covering the wooden floor. There were odd decorative flowers, made out of pieces of metal placed in a regular pot vase. Perhaps the owners of the inn did not want to bother themselves with constantly changing fresh flowers, so they settled on the fake ones.<br/>However, a bowl of fresh (<em>natural</em>) fruits was placed on the desk, which was situated between two chairs.</p><p>Nonetheless, despite the room being perfectly arranged and cozy enough for the Black Prince and his companion to rest, the dragon noticed one significant detail missing.</p><p>"Where is Ines?" Inquired Wrathion as his eyes searched the room. He turned to address the night elf, who cowered from his gaze. The agent bit her lower lip as she closed the door behind her.<br/>"There is something I have to report to you, my Lord…" She began timidly. Her silver eyes were directed to Tieria, who was walking towards the table, curiously glancing at the bowl of fruits.<br/>"Ines went to scout ahead, to secure the road you are about to take to Silithus… And he hasn't returned." Began explaining the Blacktalon agent.</p><p>Tieria glanced at Wrathion after the kaldorei spoke, expecting the dragon to enrage upon hearing the unpleasant news. But instead, the templar saw guilt shining in his crimson eyes.<br/>"Any suspicion on why he has vanished?" Interrogated Wrathion in a grim tone. The agent's eyes flickered, and she walked up to the desk, picking up a rugged map. She approached the black dragon, displaying the thin-leathery parchment before him. Linear and circular markings were drawn on the map, indicating the scout's traveling path.</p><p>"Ines had the intention of returning last sunset, I went this morning to follow his tracks but have returned to greet you. I have scouted until the Dunemaul Compound - an ogre camp, I theorized that he might have run into some troubles with the ogres."<br/>"Why would you think that way?" Wrathion said with his forehead furrowed.<br/>"Because while chasing me away from their camp, the ogres screeched that I will <em>"end up in chains like the other one."</em>" Stated the night elf grimly.</p><p>The Black Prince pressed his lips against one another. He noticed a pattern.<br/>Gradually, his agents have become less skilled at their jobs. Delivering the wrong information, returning late from their duties, failing even simplest tasks; such as retrieving something from careless voyagers. And now, his Blacktalon agents were being caught by a band of foolish ogres?</p><p>Something or <em>someone</em>, was affecting the minds of those who worked for him. And Wrathion loathed the fact that he was aware who was behind these schemes.</p><p>"So, we go and rescue the other agent." Intervened Tieria while chewing on a small grape. "Ogres are a laughable adversary, thus I doubt it will be a challenge."<br/>The dragon glanced at the templar; he was not surprised to see her eager to jump to a rescue. Such was the way of the holy knights: to protect the weak, to bring justice to the unjust. Hence, Tieria was ready to answer her call of her duty.<br/>Yet the Black Prince wondered, if at the end of all of this – the templar would expect a certain reward. He has never encountered an act of benevolence which had no strings attached to it.</p><p>"Indeed, we shall rescue him." Nodded Wrathion and grinned. "Let us find these ogres who have the nerve to intervene with my plans."<br/>The kaldorei's eyes flickered and she nodded as well:<br/>"I will prepare the mounts and supplies; we shall depart immediately." Saluted the agent. The kaldorei woman waited to receive an approval from her Master before taking her leave.</p><p>Once there were just the two of them again, Tieria rose out of the chair and approached Wrathion.<br/>"I have to admit, when you mentioned you have mortal races working for you, I did not expect such… Dedication from their part." Confessed the paladin. Wrathion smirked as Tieria continued: "And from your part as well. Given your reaction - you clearly care for those who work for you."<br/>"'<em>Care</em>' is a strong word." Declared the dragon, the smirk on his face suddenly vanished. "I simply do not desire someone else's blood on my hands. N'Zoth is attempting to turn everyone against me and make me look like the villain; and I shall not have it."</p><p>Tieria looked unconvinced by his statement, but remained silent. She saw something else in Wrathion's eyes - distinct worriedness - which the dragon made no effort to hide.<br/>Nonetheless, the templar was aware that there was no need to reveal it; dragons were proud creatures, harming their ego would do no good to anyone.</p><hr/><p>Later in that morning, the Black directed Tieria to follow him, declaring that Calthaire, <em>(which was the name of the kaldorei agent)</em> shall not take too long with the preparations. He suggested that they would already reach the gates of Gadgetzan, where they agreed to meet her.<br/>The templar obeyed the black dragon; she followed Wrathion to exit the room, but not before grabbing a golden apple from the fruit bowl.</p><p>As soon as Tieria walked out from the<em> (annoyingly loud)</em> goblin tavern, she accidentally bumped into a kaldorei male.<br/>Flustered, the templar apologized to the night elf, to which he shook his head, claiming that no harm was done. Silently, Tieria watched the kaldorei walking away while holding the hand of a kaldorei child, who most likely was his daughter.</p><p>"So many night elves…" Sighed Tieria as she gazed upon the mass of kaldorei.<br/>Families of night elves were roaming the streets of Gadgetzan. Some of them were seen discussing with the goblins for job opportunities to earn some coin, buy a house – build a new life. But despair was seen on their faces; it seemed even a big city such as Gadgetzan was reaching its limit.</p><p>Tieria recalled how even Hearthglen have received kaldorei refugees; that is how she and the rest of the Argent Crusade learnt of what transpired in Kalimdor and how the Fourth War has erupted.<br/>Sadly, when the Argent Crusade stated to the kaldorei families that they will not partake in the war, the night elves left. It seemed there were more desperate for vengeance rather than acquiring a new home.</p><p>"The damage Sylvannas Windrunner has caused to the Alliance and its people was great." Stated Wrathion calmly; his eyes also rested upon swarms of night elves who were walking through the streets. "However, the war is over and the Banshee is gone. The Alliance and the Horde can bind together against N'Zoth and the other threats on Azeroth."<br/>Tieria scoffed at the dragon's sentence. The Black Prince glared at Tieria, waiting for an explanation for her rude response. The templar blinked at him then shrugged, pressing her lips against each other.</p><p>"This peace is albeit temporarily." She declared bitterly. "How many times have the Alliance and the Horde banded together against a greater foe and then went back at killing each other? They even dared to have a skirmish during our assault on Icecrown Citadel. Instead of battling the Scourge, they blasted their airships against each other, causing soldiers of the Argent Crusade to be caught in their crossfire." Tieria sighed irritated and tore her gaze away from Wrathion. "The cycle of hatred <em>cannot</em> be broken."</p><p>
  <em>"Harness your fury... Make your hatred a weapon."</em>
</p><p>"While I agree it is a matter of time until the two factions will erupt into another battle – the cycle <em>can</em> be broken." Insisted the dragon. "Once the entire concept of <em>factions</em> will cease to be. Once their leaders understand they have to stand underneath one banner, if they want to defend this world against the Old Gods."<br/>Tieria did not reply, she stared emptily on the ground as her ears began hearing an irritating ring. She closed her eyes and found herself gripping tightly the apple in her left hand as the ringing noise intensified.</p><p>"Tieria?" called out Wrathion. Noticing that the templar was not responding, Wrathion reached out to her shoulder, causing her to jump startled.<br/>Her brown eyes widened as she stared at him in silence. While shaking her head, the templar finally spoke:<br/>"There was a frustrating ringing in my ears." Confessed Tieria and exhaled. "Probably because of the city being so loud."</p><p>Wrathion narrowed his eyes at and retrieved his hand. Tieria pulled a smile on her lips in reassurance, then with a gesture of her head she told the dragon to pursue walking, before taking a bite out of her golden apple.<br/>The Black Prince nodded, deciding to not continue their conversation regarding the Horde and the Alliance.</p><p>The two of them reunited with Calthaire at the south gates of Gadgetzan, the Blacktalon agent secured three camels, each of them packed with enough water flasks, food and bandages which could last them for at least three days.</p><p>"Dunemaul Compound is a short trip." Stated Calthaire as soon as she saw Wrathion and Tieria approaching her; she was tightening a linen sack on one of the camels' saddles while speaking.<br/>"If these ogres are hostile, why haven't the authorities of Gadgetzan dealt with them?" Asked Tieria while staring at the camel. She has seen these creatures before, but has never anticipated that she would have the opportunity to ride one. Despite the beast having a saddle, it still looked like an uncomfortable mount for the paladin.<br/>"I can only assume that the goblins did not desire to spend any expense on the defense." Theorized Wrathion, already mounting on one of the camels of a sandy brown fur color. "As long as the ogres do not bother the streets of Gadgetzan itself - they are allowed to roam the deserts. No goblin cares what happens outside their cities if it doesn't hurt their economy."</p><p>Tieria blinked puzzled at the dragon's accurate knowledge. Then, she took a couple of steps closer to the grey colored camel, and stared quietly as the animal, which was chewing on a leafy vegetable – completely ignoring Tieria's presence.<br/>Timidly, the templar mounted the creature. She grunted once she was seated on the camel, attempting to rearrange herself on the animal. Fortunately, her armored kilt had an opening on two sides, precisely to make it easier to mount; it revealed her legs covered in plate pants, which were matching her gold and silver armor.</p><p>Once everyone was prepared, Wrathion did not hesitate to give the order:<br/>"Let us move, time is of the essence." Said the Black Prince.</p><hr/><p>They rode south-west in broad daylight without a single pause. Tieria found herself consuming half of her water flask within one hour of riding, due to the intense, hot sun. Nobody has said a single word during the entire way.<br/>The templar only learnt from Wrathion that Ines was in fact Calthaire's twin brother. The kaldorei was heavily focused on the mission of rescuing her brother, and had no desire for elementary conversations.</p><p>It was much later during the day, that Calthaire broke the silence; when a large stone cave appeared on the horizon.<br/>"We shall stop here." Declared the kaldorei agent, while pulling the reins of the camel to cease the beast from walking. "The rest of the way must be on foot, to avoid being seen."</p><p>Wrathion and Tieria did as they were told; both of them dismounted at once, allowing the camels to finally rest after hours of consistent walking.<br/>As the small group began approaching the cave, they began seeing the ogre camp as well. Their method of building tents consists of wooden pillars with mere burnished leather atop. Boulders were arranged in a circle and ashes in the middle indicated that this was their fireplace. There were multiple of them seen nearby each of the tents.</p><p>However, there was so sign of any ogre. Not even footprints on the sand; as if the massive creatures have vanished in thin air.<br/>"Odd… The camp is empty…" Stated Calthaire quietly and confused.<br/>Everyone paced carefully through the sand, analyzing the abandoned tents and extinguished campfires. Even the crates and chests were empty, as if someone hurried to take everything.</p><p>Wrathion reached his hand to the hilt of the sword attached on his left hip, as he addressed to his agent:<br/>"It wasn't in this state the previous time you were here, Calthaire?" Inquired the dragon. The kaldorei shook her head, her ears twitching at every critter sound.<br/>"This looks abandoned." Analyzed Tieria, kneeling down to examine a wooden chest. The exterior of it, as well as its lock did not appear damaged, indicating that there has been no robbery. Unless the thieves killed whoever possessed the keys to these chests.</p><p>"I have never heard of ogres migrating. They tend to remain in one place." Continued the templar. Wrathion nodded at Tieria, bitter at how the situation was unraveling.<br/>Calthaire knelt down, reaching out to a shiny steel dagger which was plunged into a wooden pillar. Carefully, she analyzed the weapon. Its hilt was wrapped in purple painted leather and the blade itself was in a semi-circle shape with various runes imprinted on it.<br/>"This is Ines' dagger." The kaldorei gasped the moment she recognized her brother's weapon; with the tips of her fingers, she trailed the dried blood on the cold steel.</p><p>Calthaire lifted her eyes at her Master, whose gaze was fixated upon the entrance of the cave. His expression was clearly indicating which thoughts ran through his mind – entering the cave. He began walking to the entrance of the cave, forcing Tieria and Calthaire to swiftly run after him.</p><p>Deathly silence was enveloping the caverns; the moist and heavy aid was causing Tieria to breathe with difficulties. Unlike the camp from the desert, the cave showed signs of someone, or something, being present. The braziers were lit, food was roasting on the fire and the undone beds indicated that someone has slept in them recently.<br/>"They must've-" Tieria began but was immediately silenced by Calthaire; the night elf placed her hand atop the paladin's mouth. She hushed Tieria before retrieving her hand. The templar bit her lower lip and remained quiet as per the agent's request.</p><p>However, Calthaire's warning came in too late. Loud, rushing footsteps were heard approaching.</p><p>Tieria reached out and unsheathed the sword from her back, holding it tightly in her hands. Wrathion and Calthaire pulled out their weapons as well, listening to the footsteps growing louder and louder.<br/>"<em>No</em>!" Echoed a deep voice. "No harm, Odo!" The echo belonged to a large ogre; his head was competently shaved and he wore nothing but a long woolen kilt and carried a stone mace on his back. Around his fat neck, rested a thick rope which carried a black iron key.</p><p>Wrathion extended his arm as he channeled a magma fireball in his hand, he was ready to blast it into the ogre's direction, but he hesitated when the creature fell on his knees.<br/>"Please no!" Cried the ogre. "Odo has been through enough suffering."<br/>Tieria took a step forward and extended her sword to Wrathion, mutely pleading the dragon to listen to the ogre. The Black Prince shot her a small glare, but did as the templar asked, ceasing his cast.</p><p>"Where are the rest of your kind?" Interrogated Calthaire aggressively. The ogre, by the name of Odo, remained on his knees while heavily. He gasped for air and it took a long spoke until he gave an answer:<br/>"Dead." Replied Odo melancholic. "Bad warlocks attacked. Odo hid away."</p><p>Wrathion and Tieria exchanged looks; if there was indeed an attack, then to what end?</p><p>Meanwhile Calthaire continued with her inquiry:<br/>"What of the prisoners? A day ago, you took a kaldorei male as your prisoner."<br/>Odo blinked at Calthaire, then he got up on his feet; it caused Tieria to defensively direct her sword at him. The ogre timidly raised his fat arms, indicating that he provides no harm to the group.<br/>"In jail. Down in tunnels." Stated the ogre in his broken tongue. "Odo take you there but you escort Odo to safety after."<br/>"Ines is alive?" Exhaled the Blacktalon agent in relief, to which the ogre nodded.</p><p>"Do we trust him?" Tieria whispered to the dragon. Wrathion's attention remained at the ogre, skepticism painted over the dragon's hardened features.<br/>"No." He replied simply in a hush. "Be wary, I do not trust his story. He might as well lead us into an ambush."<br/>Tieria nodded, gripping the hilt of her sword tighter. Alongside Wrathion and Calthaire – they began following the ogre further into the cave.</p><p>Odo took them deep into the caverns, and to their surprise – the ogre spoke the truth – bodies of his kin were lying on every side, their blood staining every boulder. Some of them were scorched, while others were slashed in half. Given the smell and the fresh wounds of the corpses, the attack must have occurred somewhere during nightfall.<br/>The attackers left no weapons or runes of spells behind, which made it difficult to learn who was behind this slaughter.</p><p>Wrathion held a spark of flame which he channeled in his right hand as they walked, allowing the cavern to be better lit. His eyes were constantly watching Odo, unlike Tieria who sometimes found herself roaming her gaze around the cave.<br/>The cavern went further underground, nobody could be precise how deep underneath the earth they were, but the air was cold and moist. Puddles of water, unusual vegetation and moss appeared more frequent the longer they walked. There was no presence of ogre bodies anymore as well, which made Wrathion even more suspicious.</p><p>When they reached what seemed to be the end of the maze which was this cavern, Wrathion and the rest were surrounded by metal cages, chains and even a torturing desk.<br/>In-between two wooden pillars, with his wrist and ankles chained, dangled Ines. His jade hair, rested unkempt on his shoulders, he was ripped from his leather armor, only wearing grey breeches. Multiple cuts and bruises were seen on his violet skin.<br/>He blinked weakly at the presence of Odo, but as soon as he recognized those who were behind the ogre, the night elf's eyes widened in shock. With whatever strength he had left in his body, he screamed:</p><p>"Calthaire!" Cried out the night elf to his sister, then he addressed Wrathion. "My lord! Leave! This is a trap-!"<br/>Unfortunately, his warning came in too late; violet tentacles spewed from the ground, surrounding Wrathion and his companions while Odo stood and laughed loudly.</p><p>"The Master overestimates you, <em>the Black Prince</em>." Growled the ogre as his silhouette enveloped in void smoke.<br/>In a blink of an eye, Odo was no longer an ogre; instead, a slim, bald, pale purple being stood in front of them. Its golden eyes were burning with hatred; instead of a nose and a mouth, five tentacles grew out of his face, their length went down to his knees.</p><p>It was a <em>k'thir</em>; a faceless one.</p><p>Though smaller than their n'raqi brethren, the k'thir were no less dangerous. They manipulated the shadows, bending the wills of their enemies and even reality itself.<br/>These abominations were ruthless servants of N'Zoth; and much like the cultists who attacked Hearthglen – it intended on delivering the black dragon to the Old God it served.</p><p>The tentacles rapidly began attacking the Wrathion and his allies, giving them little time to react. Calthaire angrily unsheathed her daggers and began cutting the void corrupted fiends, while Tieria casted a golden hammer and threw it into one of the tentacles.<br/>Ines was seen struggling to free himself from the grasp of the chains but it was sadly, futile.</p><p>"So, this is N'Zoth's great plan?" Asked Wrathion rhetorically while glaring at the k'thir who stood proud before him. "Make me chase after my own people, harming them to get to me?" The dragon spat and then chuckled. "I expected more from the <em>Corruptor</em>…"<br/>The k'thir did not reply. It narrowed its disturbing golden eyes at the dragon, and began calling for the void, creating magical chains which it intended to capture Wrathion with.</p><p>However, the Black Prince would not let himself get caught so easily. Swiftly, the dragon dodged the k'thir's whip of chains while cutting some tentacles with his sword.<br/>Soon, he began channeling another fireball in his other hand, directing it towards N'Zoth's agent.</p><p>Whatever magic was behind these tentacles – it was relentless. If Tieria managed to cut down one tentacle – three more would erupt from the ground. She was heavily breathing, attempting to watch out for her comrades while fighting back the frightening foe.<br/>Calthaire continued to leap from side to side, slashing with her daggers left and right; while Wrathion had his entire attention focused on the k'thir.</p><p>A <em>second</em> of distraction to glance at the Black Prince, caused Tieria to lose her defense and get her back slashed by a void tentacle.<br/>She cried out in pain and fell on her knees, her sword falling on the ground. Angrily, the templar did not allow to receive a second strike; she immediately called to the Light, forming a golden mace in her left hand and threw it into the tentacle.</p><p>It vanished in thin air, leaving dust of void behind. However, a moment after - two more tentacles appeared in-between Tieria.<br/>Panicked, the templar sought a solution which she could only hope would work.</p><p>Swiftly, Tieria got up on her feet and positioned herself as best as she could in the center of the entire 'battlefield'. She placed her both hands on the hilt of her sword and raised it as high as she could in the air.<br/>"Avert your eyes!" Yelled out Tieria to Wrathion and the night elf siblings. However, she gave them little time to react, immediately after,</p><p>The templar let out a cry to the Light and plunged the sword into the ground. Gold and white light began erupting from every crack and opening in the cavern, blinding the k'thir and burning every single tentacle in their presence. Tieria's entire body glowed in that light as she stood on one knee and kept the sword pierced into the ground.</p><p>Both Wrathion and Calthaire covered their faces with their arms, shielding themselves from the blinding light; Ines too, shut his eyes and lowered his head as much as he could.<br/>The k'thir attempted to do the same, but at the sight of the tentacles disappearing – it found himself screeching in panic.</p><p>The Light lasted a couple of moments, then gradually it began dimming itself from the cavern and from the paladin.<br/>Once it was gone, Tieria opened her eyes while breathing heavily – the spell took a lot out of her and she felt too weak to even rise on her feet again. Nonetheless, there was not a single tentacle surrounding them, which made Wrathion and Calthaire turn their attention to the k'thir and direct their weapons to N'Zoth's servant.</p><p>Enraged at his defeat, the k'thir grabbed the nearest dagger of the ground and ran behind Ines. With its entire palm, it pushed the night elf's head back, forcing him to reveal his neck.<br/>Calthaire screamed upon realizing what the fiend intended to do, but was far too slow to take action against it. In a single move, the k'thir slashed Ines' throat, cutting it as deeply as possible with the dagger. Blood began spearing down his body as the night elf began choking.</p><p>Infuriated - Wrathion directed his glare at N'zoth's servant and channeled a magma spell. He threw his cast towards the k'thir; the creature failed to dodge it and immediately caught on fire. Its flesh began to be consumed by Wrathion's flame, and its screeches of pain echoed in the cavern.<br/>Calthaire swiftly rushed towards her brother, picking up the key off the ground. She unlocked the rusty shackles with haste, finally freeing him. His body fell on the kaldorei woman, and she gently laid it on the cold ground, resting his head on her lap.</p><p>As she choked back tears, Calthaire examined Ines, then she lifted her head and glared at Tieria.<br/>"Do something, paladin!" Ordered the night elf bitterly.</p><p>Tieria weakly approached her and knelt down as she examined Ines' bleeding body. She placed her hand tenderly atop his open neck. The night elf was not breathing; the cut neck has obviously done lethal damage, but Calthaire refused to believe so.<br/>In order to bring some sort of relief to the kaldorei, Tieria attempted to heal Ines, albeit she knew it was futile.</p><p>With her palm atop his neck, Tieria began murmuring a calling to the Light. Gradually, her gloved-palm began glowing in a bright silver light, however it made no difference to Ines' wound; his neck remained cut open and bleeding. Tieria did not bother to tire herself by holding unto the cast. She ceased her spell and lifted her gaze at Calthaire.<br/>"He's… Gone." Exhaled Tieria, sadness shined in her eyes. Calthaire's lower lips began trembling and the night elf woman threw her body across Ines' torso as she began to weep quietly.</p><p>Tieria turned her head at Wrathion, who refused to look at the dead agent and his wailing sister. Instead, his eyes were focused on the scorched k'thir.<br/>The templar watched as the dragon gripped the hilt of the sword and angrily pierced it into the fiend's chest, spilling its black blood. He was obviously devastated by the events which have just occurred.</p><p>Wrathion's speechless anger and Calthaire's sulking created an ashen silence in the cave. Tieria felt obligated to take charge, for she did not want to linger for too long in an underground cavern, filled with dead k'thir, ogre corpses and Light knows what else.</p><p>She pleaded her comrades to leave and suggested cremating Ines; fortunately – everyone agreed.</p><hr/><p>It was decided, per Calthaire's insistence, to cremate Ines by the nearest beach. The entire trip has been traveled in utter silence. The Blacktalon agent had Ines' body wrapped in a cloak and laid in front of her atop the camel.<br/>The sun has begun to set upon the deserts of Tanaris, hiding itself behind the waters of the ocean.</p><p>Calthaire murmured one final goodbye before letting go of the lit match, allowing it to drop on the tropical leaves which served as kindling.<br/>Once the corpse was lit and it began being consumed by the flames, Calthaire rested on the sand, mourning the loss of her twin.</p><p>Wrathion stood quietly as well, further than anyone else. He did not breathe out a single sound since they left the cavern; it concerned Tieria.<br/>The templar was still weakened from the massive Light spell, and barely kept her own weight on her feet. She felt exhausted, but did not want to admit it just yet.</p><p>Quietly, Tieria approached Wrathion, looking concerned at the dragon.<br/>"Wrathion..." She began in a whisper. The Black Prince clenched his jaw, and interrupted her before she could finish her sentence:<br/>"I do wonder to what limits the Old God will go to get what he mostly desires." He exhaled bitterly. Tieria found herself reaching out to touch his arm as she spoke:<br/>"We will strike him down before he can even attempt to harm anyone else."<br/>"Endearing." Chuckled Wrathion, while having his eyes locked into hers. "But I am afraid it is a lie – thousands more will suffer by N'Zoth's hands before we put an end to this."</p><p>Tieria broke away from eye contact. Her gaze rested upon Wrathion's necklace, watching her own reflection through the ruby gem.<br/>It was in that, oddly timing moment, that Tieria realized how tall Wrathion was. Albeit the young paladin was of the average height for a Lordaeron woman; by standing still, she could only reach to his thorax.</p><p>Unable to find the correct words to console him, Tieria stood silent next to him. She brushed a couple of her hair strands behind her left ear, mourning wordlessly. She may have not known Ines, but she always pained the loss of a soul.</p><p>"I hope you do not regret the decision of joining me." Confessed the dragon grimly. "I cannot promise your safety… Or our success."<br/>Tieria blinked at Wrathion, he noticed her gaze softening the longer she looked at him. Eventually a small smile appeared at the corner of her lips.<br/>"I do not." She said confidently. "I believe I am set on the correct path by fighting by your side."</p><p>Wrathion remained silent, once again he was locked in Tieria's eyes. He began to wonder what thoughts went through the mind of this templar, who was so dedicated to fight for this world.<br/>"Then prepare yourself." Exhaled the Black Prince, his eyes shining with determination. "For this, is just the beginning."</p><p>
  <em>"With every choice you become more my servant..."</em>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Pulse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>One more OC will make appearance in this chapter, and more will follow.<br/>I hope this story still remains to your liking! ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lorga quietly mourned as she reached out to place her right hand on the gravestone.<br/>The winds of Nagrand have already managed to cover dust upon the stone, leading to some of dust debris sticking upon Lorga's palm.</p><p>The newly arranged tombstone was modest, and yet, pleasing enough to honor a great man like High Overlord Varok Saurfang.</p><p>He had lived a long life – from serving as Blackhand's lieutenant during the era of the orchish Horde, to being chosen by Ogrim Doomhammer as his second-in-command in the First War, and even leading the Might of Kalimdor in the war against the silithid and their qiraji masters during the second War of the Shifting Sands. And these were only a few of the heroic acts of Varok Saurfang.</p><p>His life was glorious, and no matter how dire the challenges he has faced were – the blackrock orc always held to true honor. Even during his last breath.</p><p>The opposite could have been said about the one who <em>took</em> his final breath.</p><p>Sylvanas Windrunner, the former Warchief of the Horde, has been challenged to a Mak'gora by Saurfang. The orcish ritualistic duel, whereby someone challenged another person to individual combat. Refusing a Mak'gora meant dishonor, putting the Banshee into a position where she could not refuse, otherwise she would lose the loyalty of the entire Horde.</p><p>Of course, during that particular duel, Sylvanas proved she does not care for the Horde's loyalty; she struck Varok Saurfang with foul, dark magic – an action forbidden in Mak'gora – and ultimately abandoned the Horde as well as the deceased body of the Overlord.</p><p>And thus, the Fourth War has ended; with a leaderless Horde, a deceased hero and a hole in Lorga's soul.</p><p>Varok was one of the few veterans left, who alongside her, were the co-founders of the new Horde under the leadership of Warchief Thrall.<br/>It was a new era for the Horde at that time. An era where the orcs were no longer driven by Mannoroth's blood curse, an era where various races would rally under their red banner. An era where honor stood above the wall, as well as victory and glory. Gradually, however, this new Horde has begun losing its meaning, as well as its great warriors.</p><p>Vol'jin, Cairne Bloodhoof, Nazgrim and so many others…</p><p>Now with so many Horde heroes gone - Lorga felt her soul beginning to wither. She may have left serving directly the Horde years ago; but she has never abandoned it. She has always remained an adviser to those who would seek her guidance – but as a shaman, a keeper of the elements - she had to uphold duty far greater than fighting the Alliance.</p><p>Nonetheless, seeing the Horde in a state where they attack innocents, delve in ominous magic and cast away their traditions was bringing pain in Lorga's heart. It felt as if the shaman was reliving the years of the orcish Horde under Gul'dan's command.</p><p>Varok believed that the Horde could have been returned to its true roots, once Sylvanas Windrunner would cease to command it. Hence, the High Overlord reached out to his oldest friends and convinced them to take up their weapons and fight for the Horde one last time.</p><p>Lorga, alongside Thrall, were among those recruited members. Although the assault upon Orgrimmar was prevented due to the Mak'gora challenge, Lorga still took part in what was titled the final battle of the Blood War.</p><p>After Varok's funeral, which was held in front of Grommash Hold, Thrall together with Lorga, carried Saurfang's body to Nagrand and buried his remains. They have insisted nobody else to join them.</p><p>Just the two of them – two friends burying another friend.</p><p>Despite the event being a sorrowful one, something in Lorga's heart warmed at the thought of the great warrior resting alongside his mate and his son. Not many orcs who have lived through the formation of the First Horde, had the honor of being buried alongside their family.</p><p>The orc shaman knelt before the buried remains of Varok as she closed her eyes. Her nails found themselves piercing through the stone which was now his monument.<br/>"Ancestors guide you, Varok." Whispered Lorga softly, while reaching out to the bone-necklace of a lost loved one, which rested around her neck.<br/>Then Lorga reached out and lifted her fur and leather kilt to rise on her feet easier. She turned to the figure who stood slightly behind her.</p><p>Thrall's memorable blue eyes were filled with sorrow and regret; he let some of his body weight rest against the shovel which he held in his hands. Clearly, the son of Durotan mourned the loss of his old friend. Much like Lorga was.</p><p>They haven't spoken during their entire trip to Outland. Thrall was searching his soul, analyzing how he could have prevented losing another dear friend.<br/>While Lorga, who was once part of the proud Warsong Clan, was enveloped in heavy nostalgia as she walked on the broken world of Outland, which once was her homeland - the savage world of Draenor.</p><p>A grim silence has befallen between the two orcs; a silence that has never occurred before. Lorga closed her eyes, soaking in the ambience sounds of the land she grew up in. Nagrand was not the same as it was forty years ago, nonetheless it was still as the most beautiful land she has ever walked upon.</p><p>After the short daydream, the Warsong shaman broke the silence:<br/>"I have to return to Rehgar." Stated Lorga quietly, her soul easing at the mere thought of her mate. Thrall nodded; he too - had a family to return to.</p><p>Although many things had to be discussed between the two old warriors of the Horde – specifically regarding its future - Lorga had no desire to, and she believed Thrall was aware of that.<br/>"Will you go after her?" Inquired Thrall calmly, well aware Lorga would realize whom he was talking about.<br/>"The world has bigger problems than a mere Banshee hunt." Stated Lorga troubled.<br/>"She is no mere Banshee. Not anymore." Said Thrall, his blue eyes turned from sorrow into anger at the mention of Sylvanas Windrunner. "Her actions since the beginning of the war prove that."</p><p>He took a step closer to Lorga, staring in her honey-colored eyes. "I do not believe you are going to let this slide so easily, Lorga." Thrall said palpitating. "You, out of all people, do not tolerate such dishonorable beings like Windrunner."<br/>"Neither do you." Lorga called him out in an accusing tone. "And while I desire to avenge Varok." She resumed to speak in a more calming tone. "I cannot. The elements…. Are frightened. Something dark is about to resurface. I do not know what… But we have to stay on alert."</p><p>Thrall remained silent as his eyes were staring down at the green grass. The mention of the Elements silenced the once a great shaman. Certain actions Thrall has committed, have angered the elements of the world. Thus, refusing to ever allow the Frostwolf orc to plea for their aid. He was no longer a great shaman like Lorga. He was no longer any sort of shaman.</p><p>Unwilling to spend too much time in Outland, for her old soul could not handle so many memories here, Lorga picked up the little satchel she had, and readied herself to leave this place behind once more.</p><p>"Take care, old friend." Breathed Lorga after a pause. She reached out and placed her hand on his muscular shoulder, Thrall found himself reaching out to it; covering her hand with his palm. He nodded as a both thank you and a farewell.<br/>"Give my greetings to Rehgar and your boy." Pleaded Thrall softly, to which Lorga gave a smile and saluted the once mighty Warchief of the Horde.</p><p>The shaman walked towards the wyvern, stroking his red mane as she grabbed his reins and climbed upon the winged beast. Once seated on the wyvern, Lorga took in a deep breath, inhaling the air of her homeland one more time, before departing to return to Azeroth. To her new home.</p><hr/><p>The air in the dessert of Silithus was sharp and dry. Despite the waking sunrise, the sun was already shining strongly upon those lands; it was believed that Sargeras' black sword attracted the sun's heat, causing the sand to sting one at the mere touch of it.</p><p>As the hippogryph's flew in closer, Tieria had a better look at the Titanic weapon which caused the world the enormous pain. The templar's breathing began hastening by merely staring at the sword, and her eyes widened in despair. It was unsettling how by simply looking at the sword: she saw visions of Azeroth's destruction.<br/>After Ines' cremation, Wrathion did not desire to dwell longer in Tanaris. Calthaire forced herself to bury her mourning and resume her mission of escorting her Master to Silithus.</p><p>They have swiftly returned to Gadgeztan that sunset, to pick up two gryphons and immediately fly over Un'goro Crater and towards Silithus. They flew the entire night; despite Tieria riding in the back of the gryphon, leaving Calthaire to be in charge of controlling the reins of the mount – the paladin has not gotten any sleep.</p><p>Dawn was settling in when Wrathion and his companions reached Silithus. The sky bathed in colors of red and orange, created an awning view in the dessert of Silithus.</p><p>Towards the eastern side of the Wound, a large campsite was seen. Multiple tents were arranged in the area, with various races spread around them. That place was now known as <em>Magni's Encampment.<br/></em>Shamans, druids, priests and any being who had a healing ability was present there. They were assisting Magni Bronzebeard, the Speaker of Azeroth, to discover how they could possibly restore Azeroth. Even at that early sunrise, silhouettes were seen out of their tent, readying themselves to start a new day to heal their world.</p><p>Calthaire and Wrathion landed the hippogryphs at the edge of the campsite. The Black Prince immediately began giving orders to Caltharie; Tieria was far too focused on the view to eavesdrop on the dragon's words.</p><p>As the templar dismounted, she found herself constantly gazing at the sword. Perhaps it was odd to think of it - but the design of the sword was quite astounding; at least the portion of the sword she actually could see.<br/>The sword was immense, merely the tip of it was impaled in the ground; its upper body and even the hilt were not visible. Nobody could tell how high the weapon was - and nobody dared to find out.</p><p>With the corner of the eye Tieria noticed the dragon approaching her, while was Calthaire walking away from them.<br/>"This sight…" The templar exhaled weakly; she looked at Wrathion, who stood next to her. "How can you hope to save the world when you see <em>this</em>?"<br/>The Black Prince blinked at her, then turned his gaze at Sargeras' sword. Unlike Tieria, there was no indication that the dragon felt distressed by the view.<br/>"If none else will try and stop it," Began the dragon. "Then who will?"</p><p>Tieria bit her lower lip; he had a good point.</p><p>Reluctant to spend more time on plain chatting, the dragon gestured to the paladin to follow him as he began walking towards a metal glowing platform. Tieria could not help but notice that nobody around was paying attention to them, it seemed the healers have gotten used to travelers in this area.</p><p>It made the templar question how easy it would be to infiltrate this place and slay everyone present; given the situation - it was unfortunately highly likely that an attack might occur sooner or later.</p><p>As soon as Wrathion and Tieria stood in the center of the platform – the blue runes began glowing, the light was so bright that the templar forcefully shut her eyes.<br/>The moment she opened them, Tieria found herself in an entirely different environment. They were no longer on the grounds of Silithus, they were <em>under</em>.<br/>It seemed to be an ancient titan vault; bronze walls and large pillars were surrounding them. The floor was made out of glass, allowing to see the underneath construction. The air was surprisingly bleak, as Tieria exhaled a shiver, her voice echoed in the vast hall.</p><p>Tieria was hesitating on trusting her intuition, but she thought she heard a heartbeat reverberating throughout the chamber.</p><p>She has seen titan constructions and architecture before, but something about this particular chamber seemed different and the templar could not place a finger what caused this dissimilarity.<br/>Further from the hallway, beyond the large opened doors, a circular room was visible with two broad, iron dwarfs standing guard at the entrance of the room. They did not flinch at the sight of Wrathion and Tieria, allowing the dragon and the paladin to enter without any inquiry.</p><p>Silently, Tieria walked besides Wrathion towards the circular chamber. Watching as the dragon opened his arms and spoke:<br/>"Speaker Magni!" Called out the Black Prince, his voice resonating strongly within the chamber. He spoke with confidence and even a tint of delight was heard in his tone.<br/>"Wrathion!" Greeted Magni Bronzebeard, the former king of the dwarven kingdom Khaz Modan, Thane of Ironforge and the head of the Bronzebeard clan.</p><p>After his so-called 'death' caused by a ritual which transformed him into a diamond and immobilized him, Magni was succeeded by the Council of Three Hammers.</p><p>For years he has remained an unmoved dwarven crystal, but shortly after the Burning Legion's third invasion - he has awakened. Oddly enough, his body remained a diamond.<br/>The ritual he executed has attuned the dwarf to the titan world-soul of Azeroth itself; allowing him to hear whispers from the world itself, in the same manner as a shaman communicates with the spirits.</p><p>Now, the Bronzebeard dwarf served as the<em> "Speaker of Azeroth"</em> and spent every day of his life in trying to heal the world.</p><p>Magni's crystal eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Wrathion; the black-furred tauren who stood beside the dwarf, was just as stunned. The tauren took a step closer when he saw the dragon approach Magni. "We've been lookin' everywhere for ya!" Exclaimed the Speaker.<br/>"I am aware." Chuckled the Black Prince, then he turned to the tauren as he continued: "But, I assume all is well?"</p><p>The tauren, who wore simple shamanic robes, with white war-paint on his face, nodded humbly at Wrathion's half-elven form.<br/>"For now, it is." Replied the tauren in a deep voice.<br/>"I knew ye would show up, lad." Exhaled Magni warmly. "With everything that's happenin', we need yer help."</p><p>Wrathion nodded at the Speaker, then he turned his head to Tieria. He noticed the befuddled expression of the templar. Clearly, she was attempting to untangle how Wrathion and Magni were acquainted with one another, and who exactly was the tauren next to them.</p><p>In desire to have Tieria partake the conversation, Wrathion took a step to the side and spoke:<br/>"I have brought an ally who is willing to aid our cause." Said the Black Prince eagerly. Tieria was surprised at the dragon's sudden introduction, nonetheless, she took a step forward and smiled at Magni.</p><p>"It is an honor, Speaker." Tieria gave a humble bow with her head. It was the first time the templar was in the presence of a dwarven leader. "I've heard much. I am Tieria."<br/>"We're grateful ta anyone willin' ta help." Magni said as he returned the bow and smiled through his crystal lips.</p><p>"I am Ebonhorn. However, you may call me Ebyssian" Stepped forward the tauren. "We welcome your aid, Tieria; and of course, … I am grateful to you, Wrathion."<br/>"Ebyssian?" Repeated Tieria shocked; recalling hearing the name and the person behind it. "That means you're-." She did not finish her sentence, instead she turned at Wrathion who nodded, confirming that this was indeed, the Ebyssian. Another uncorrupted black dragon and to some extent – Wrathion's brother.</p><p>"I would have been N'Zoth's minion, if it wasn't for you, Wrathion." Continued the tauren-appearing dragon. Tieria narrowed her eyes, unable to understand what Ebyssian was talking about; it seemed nobody was intending on explaining to her just yet, since Wrathion immediately began talking about the task at hand:<br/>"We cannot celebrate just yet." Elaborated the black dragon in his half-elven form. "N'Zoth will strike again. We need to warn everyone of the Old God. The lesser beings of Azeroth are becoming corrupted as we speak."</p><p>Wrathion spoke firm and ominous; the thought of N'Zoth succeeding frightened the dragon, causing him to inhale sharply. His crimson eyes were focused on Magni as the dwarf nodded along to his words.<br/>"Aye." Confirmed Magni. "I was planning on sendin' missives ta the Alliance and the Horde and plea for a meetin' with 'em."</p><p>Tieria took a step forward, she crossed her arms as she prepared to speak. The templar was not the one to advertise herself as a chatty person; she enjoyed listening rather than speaking.<br/>However, when it came to discussing battle plans – she would always attempt to speak her mind:</p><p>"With all due respect, Speaker… I am afraid the forces of the Alliance and the Horde might be too weakened by their own war. They might not have enough numbers to aid us."<br/>"Perhaps…" Shrugged Magni, slightly unconvinced. He blinked at Tieria; his shining eyes went over the hilt of the large sword which was attached to her back.</p><p>"That is the Argent Crusade insignia." Pointed out the dwarf at the curious marking which was sculpted in the body of the hilt: it was a golden circle behind a black sun with an extended palm in the center of it. "Yer a templar within their ranks? Does that mean ye can reach out to the paladins from the Sanctum of the Light?"</p><p>Tieria's brown eyes widened at the mention of the secret, holy sanctuary, which was hidden underneath Light's Hope Chapel in Eastern Plaguelands.<br/>It was a divine place, where all templar orders would gather under one banner to bring justice to the unjust.</p><p>The sanctuary was used as the main headquarter for all the paladins during the Burning Legion's invasion. It was upon that holy ground that the templars held their meetings and discussed strategies to push back the demonic army.<br/>Despite the fact that the demons' march of terror has ceased – the Sanctum of Light remained as a sanctuary for paladins who could not find a home, or had no desire to return to their serving faction. In the present day it served as a new recruiting base for the Knights of the Silver Hand order.</p><p>"Y-yes…" Blabbered Tieria hesitantly. She took a small pause, licking her lips and brushing a couple of hair strands behind her ear. "However, I believe the sanctum has been… Abandoned. Many paladins have returned to either their factions or homeland. We might not have enough time to gather all of them."</p><p>Wrathion's crimson eyes narrowed at Tieria's sudden stuttering and the distinct blush on her cheeks. Tieria glanced at him and then simply brushed him off by focusing her attention to Magni. She was not certain, but she felt that the dragon did not fully believe her words.</p><p>Noticing the dwarf's silence, the templar continued:</p><p>"Besides, once we have acquired an army; How does one even locate an Old God?" Inquired Tieria timidly.<br/>"By entering the veil." Replied Wrathion simply, his eyes still having a cold stare upon Tieria. "As N'Zoth grows stronger, he is attempting to separate Ny'alotha from the physical world in order to merge the two realities into one and thereby transform Azeroth into the Black Empire once more. If he succeeds … Our reality will be erased."</p><p>"The Black Empire?" Repeated Tieria, faintly recalling hearing that title in some ancient texts, but could not recall what it stood for. Nonetheless, the name was quite self-explanatory.<br/>"N'Zoth's servants have already begun their attack." Intervened Ebyssian grimly. "We have heard that His forces are attacking the locations where the Titan forges are."<br/>"Aye, and we have sent as many forces of Cenarion Circle and the Earthen Ring as we could to defend 'em." Explained Magni, then the dwarf let out a heavy sigh. "But I am afraid it will not be enough if we want to strike N'Zoth."</p><p>"I fear an army will be useless against the Old God." Stated Wrathion, in a sly tone as usual. "A simple human footman or an orc grunt would fall to N'Zoth's corruption in a blink of an eye. We need a small number of powerful champions, who have faced great challenges in this world. Warriors that have seen the horrors which are dwelling on Azeroth and are not afraid to face them."</p><p>Tieria clenched her jaw - how does one come across such a hero? Many champions who could fall under Wrathion's description have already perished, sacrificing themselves for victory.<br/>Although she has had her shares of battle and triumph in the few years that she has served as a paladin, she would not call herself a <em>champion</em>.</p><p>After a small pause, Magni gave a sanguine nod to Wrathion.<br/>"I have some names in mind." Confessed the diamond king. "Allow me a day to reach out to 'em, then we can discuss our plan further."</p><p>Wrathion's lips curved into a smile. He then turned to Tieria, who was staring emptily at the wall of the chamber; her eyes were dimmed which the dragon theorized might be because of exhaustion. He recalled how ill she had felt on the ship when they traveled to Kalimdor. And that was merely a day ago; since then - she has gotten little to no rest.</p><p>Tieria has proven to be useful during the little time she has traveled with him; thus, the Black Prince has decided to reward the templar.<br/>He approached Tieria with a smile and motioned his head to the exit of the chamber.</p><p>"Calthaire should have prepared a tent for us by now." Said the dragon in a hushed tone. "You can have some rest until Magni needs us."<br/>Tieria blinked at Wrathion, surprised by the dragon's proposal; nonetheless, she replied with a smile. A pause from a whirlwind that has been these past days was a welcoming thought.</p><hr/><p>The tent Calthaire has arranged was large and neatly arranged; it appeared to be organized by some sort of magic - for it would be impossible for a single person to organize this in such a short time.</p><p>Fur carpets were thrown everywhere on the ground of the tent, covering most of the dry soil of Silithus; stones were arranged around a cluster of logs in the center, with a large pot boiling over the lit fire; long stools were placed around the campfire.</p><p>Two wooden beds were situated further inside the tent, and behind a large drape which served as a door, was seen a large bed and a wooden desk.<br/>It was obvious to assume that the private area was intended to be Wrathion's.</p><p>Tieria glanced around the tent, astonished. She removed her sword and satchel off her back; relief washed over her at the sight of a decent bed with a large pillow and fur cover.<br/>The templar was certain that she would be able to have some suitable rest in here.</p><p>Wrathion walked inside the tent without paying attention to the surroundings; clearly, the dragon was expecting such arrangements. He pulled aside the separating drape and removed his sword which was tied to his waist. Lazily, he threw it on the bed; the particular movement irritated his injured shoulder, to which he hissed in pain.</p><p>Upon hearing discomfort, Tieria daringly approached Wrathion, realizing that she hasn't checked his wound since they have left Hearthglen.</p><p>"How is your shoulder?" Asked Tieria while entering the private area of the tent. Wrathion glanced at her and simply smiled.<br/>"I believe it is better." Declared the dragon, he began to slowly rotate his shoulder to test his muscles' reaction to it. As he did it, he felt slight discomfort instead of sharp pain.</p><p>Wrathion turned to Tieria while guiding his hands to the sash of his coat and unknotting it.<br/>"But I will let you be the judge of the wound's state." The dragon removed his coat and unbuttoned his shirt; his dark lips were painted with an alluring smirk.</p><p>The particular grin caused Tieria to blush and turn, facing his back at him. The templar was uncertain why she had done it; given that she was about to examine him. Perhaps it was a common reaction upon seeing someone undress.<br/>To not appear foolish, Tieria swiftly walked to her satchel to take out a roll of fresh bandages. By then Wrathion had already had his entire torso exposed.</p><p>Tieria's eyes analyzed the dragon's half-elven appearing body, starting with his lightly toned abdomen, walking up to the short curly black hair from his chest, and his nipples pierced with golden studs; eventually her eyes rested into his'.</p><p>Tieria found herself incited by his appearance; she bit her lower lip as the dragon remained smiling at her.</p><p>Wrathion took a seat at the edge of the bed and Tieria pursued to do the same. Quietly, she began untying the linen bandage which was tied around his shoulder.<br/>The Black Prince breathed out softly at the templar's touch; despite Tieria attempting to be as gentle as possible, his injury was still quite sensitive and any manner of touch brought the dragon slight discomfort.</p><p>"You have healed well." Assured Tieria warmly as she examined his shoulder. The gap from the arrow has entirely covered itself, all that remained of his injury was a large bruise. It has reached a state where it was no longer needed to keep it bandaged. It was known that dragons healed exceptionally rapidly, but Tieria has not appeared to see improvements that soon.<br/>"I am glad; I was concerned that the arrow might have caused too much damage to you."<br/>"You were that concerned about me?" Chuckled Wrathion while gazing at the templar. She blushed at his comment and smiled shyly.<br/>"Yes." Tieria confessed softly without any hesitation. "I did not want to see you harmed. While I understand that Caradin and the others attacked in defense – making you unable to fly seemed rather cruel."</p><p>"I did not expect such an answer." Admitted the dragon, his eyes ever remaining upon her. "Especially given the fact that to some extent I <em>did</em> endanger your life."<br/>"Well, you were not intending to actually kill me... <em>Were you</em>?" Asked Tieria, terrified to hear the answer. Wrathion gave her a reassured smile and shook his head.<br/>"No. I merely wanted to scare you into returning the scale. I would burn your wrist - at best."<br/>"How kind of you." Giggled Tieria sarcastically. Then, she rose from the modest bed to toss away the dirty used bandages.</p><p>"Speaking of injuries…Your back is wounded." Remarked the dragon as he stared upon her exposed skin, where an ugly scratch laid horizontally across her lower back. Tieria reached out and touched her wound with the tips of her fingers.<br/>"It is not that severe." She confirmed, while feeling the bumped skin that the scratch has formed.</p><p>The templar closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, focusing her entire energy on her wound. Gradually, the tip of her fingers began lighting up. Silver luminance spread out to cover her entire palm, eventually reaching to her wound.<br/>Once she ceased her cast, Tieria exhaled in relief. The scratch was not completely gone but the skin was moderately returning to her natural ivory shade.</p><p>"The Light is curious." Said the Black Prince after watching Tieria heal herself. "An endless, shimmering sea of energy, that lies beyond the barriers of reality. Many mortals worship it, without knowing its true nature."<br/>"Which is laughable in my opinion." Replied Tieria harshly. "It is a cosmic force, and its powers are great; but that is what it all is – <em>power</em>. Power you devote yourself to wield and master."<br/>Wrathion rose from the bed and approached Tieria, he left little space between them as he reached out and gently grabbed her chin, lifting her face to gaze unto his'.</p><p>"And how does a paladin wield the Light without devotion?" Purred the dragon. To his surprise, Tieria did not feel repulsed by his 'invasive' touching. In fact, she found herself captivated by his lips moving.<br/>"I am devoted and grateful to it – but it is not a God. Not <em>my</em> God." Elaborated the templar, trying to focus on the conversation, instead of her craving desires which the dragon has awakened in her.</p><p>"It is… This energy residing inside of me, in my heart and soul; granting me this power and ambition to strive to be good in all actions." She explained musically. She noticed Wrathion's eyes flickering with curiosity as he attentively listened to her.<br/>After a small pause, Tieria spoke once again:</p><p>"I believe… The Light is not a divine entity some make it to be. It is inside all of us… But not everyone is worthy of wielding this power."<br/>Wrathion retrieved his hand, clasping his hands together behind his back as he kept his attention on the paladin.<br/>"And how did <em>you</em> become worthy of wielding it?" Debated the dragon with intrigue in his tone. Tieria searched in his crimson eyes while forming her answer; thinking back to the moment she was touched by the Light.</p><p>"I… Do not know." She confessed while giving a shrug; a short laugh left her lips while her cheeks flushed pink. "I woke up one night, hearing screams. The Scourge was attacking our refugee camp… I ran downstairs; my father warned me to stay inside but…" Tieria released another empty chuckle in-between her sentences.</p><p>"I picked up one of his crafted swords and charged outside. The moment… The moment I struck down a ghoul – it came to me. This… Light shined down upon me, nearly blinding me with its radiance. It was warm at first, but then it seared." Tieria's eyes had an indescribable gleam as she pursued retelling that one of a kind experience. "I felt scoured; emptied, scrubbed clean and then… Filled again. The Light swelled inside of me and then it faded away to a tolerable level. Without realizing, I knew how to use it; and I fought back the Scourge alongside the rest of the paladins."</p><p>"It has chosen you." The dragon analyzed after Tieria finished her explanation, to which the templar nodded in agreement. "And yet, I keep wondering what makes that soul go through this… <em>Awakening</em>. Was it because of your determination to fight against the Scourge? Or was it the deeds of your past that proved that you deserve to wield that power?" He asked rhetorically.</p><p>"I was fourteen…" Stated Tieria simply. "I did not have any great past deeds. I could barely swing a sword. I was just the daughter of a simple blacksmith."<br/>Wrathion found himself chuckled at her words. He walked away from Tieria to pick up his tunic off the bed.</p><p>"Why are you so curious about the Light?" The templar wondered, as she watched Wrathion button his tunic.<br/>"Azeroth is full of mysteries." Explained the Black Prince whimsically. "The Light being one of it. I believe learning these mysteries is crucial in defense of this world." He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Tieria's loud yawn.</p><p>The paladin blushed and bit her lower lip; she wanted to continue the conversation but she began feeling her tiredness catching up. Having no sleep for the entire night affected her more than she desired; her vision was gradually becoming blurry and it began to be painful to stay on her feet.</p><p>"I am sorry." Apologized Tieria with a smile. "An entire day without sleep does not bode well with humans." Tieria laughed emptily after releasing another loud yawn.<br/>Wrathion gave out another, and gave her a nod. There would be another time to resume their discussion.<br/>"Get rest." Ordered the dragon softly. "I will resume planning alongside, Magni and I shall inform you of our strategy once you are rested."</p><p>The templar nodded slowly. Wrathion immediately walked out of the tent, after he finished arranging his attire.</p><p>Once alone, Tieria approached one of the beds from the main area of the tent, and practically crashed herself on it; unwilling to fight against her tiredness any longer. The paladin immediately shut her eyes and allowed herself to fall into an unusual morning slumber.</p><hr/><p>Wrathion walked back inside the Chamber of Heart but Magni was nowhere to be found.</p><p>Aside from the iron dwarves who stood guard, Ebonhorn was the only soul present within that room. The dark tauren was leaning across a bronze table while going over some parchments. Upon hearing footsteps, he lifted to look at Wrathion approaching him with a small smile at the corner of his lips.</p><p>"Wrathion." Called out Ebyssian warmly. He turned his attention to the young whelp. "To resume our discussion from earlier… How did you know that I had begun to hear N'Zoth's whispers?"<br/>The Black Prince's grin grew. The elder black dragon was referring to an event that had occurred a while ago.</p><p>Much like the rest of his flight - Ebyssian has been succumbing to N'zoth's whispers ever since the Old God began breaking out from his prison. If not for Magni's intervention, Ebyssian would have been slain. But the Speaker quickly jumped to Ebyssian's aid and sought out Wrathion, the only black dragon who hatched free of the Old God taint.</p><p>The Black Prince was in hiding at that time – shielding himself from N'zoth's forces; thus, he also sheltered himself from his own allies.<br/>Magni's people failed to locate Wrathion; however, the young black dragon had spies watching over Ebyssian. And they ensured that Ebonhorn would acquire a potion of Wrathion's creation, which could temporarily block the Old God's whisper.</p><p>"One of my agents was watching over you." Confessed Wrathion simply. "We are cursed; vulnerable to his corruption, and I did not wish for that to happen to you..." Ebyssian's eyes warmed as he looked at black whelp.<br/>"I did not realize you felt so sentimental towards my well-being." Admitted the tauren, heartily surprised; to which Wrathion chuckled and took a step closer to him.<br/>"You are my brother. The only one I have."</p><p>Ebyssian reached out and placed his hand on Wrathion's shoulder; the dragon could not help but hiss given that Ebyssian's hand was over his wounded side.<br/>The Black Prince mutely pleaded Ebyssian to remove his hand by touching his wrist.</p><p>He did not desire to explain the reason why he had ceased the sentimental moment between him and his brother; but to his luck, it seemed Ebyssian did not desire to inquire either.</p><p>"Are you hearing them?" Whispered the elder dragon. Wrathion flinched at the question and gave out a loud sigh.<br/>"I am not letting him." He replied while gritting his teeth. "However, sometimes... It is becoming difficult;" Feeling anger at his own self surging through him, Wrathion confessed: "Even for me..."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>"Let go..."</em>
</p><p>"Paladin!" Tieria heard a female voice. However, despite being aware that she is being called out, the templar did not desire to open her eyes.<br/>She turned her head away from the direction where the voice came from. Nonetheless, that only enraged the person behind it.</p><p>Tieria felt a strong grab on her right shoulder, she attempted to fight it off. Cold fingers went away from her shoulder, to grab her cheeks squeezing them tightly while forcefully turning her head. Tieria had no choice but to open her eyes.</p><p>She found Calthaire was behind the disturbance of her sleep. The night elf glared at Tieria, while squeezing her cheeks inwards. The night elf pulled the young paladin close to her face as she spoke:<br/>"The Black Prince is asking for you." Declared Calthaire with a cold glow in her silver eyes.</p><p>Tieria, still partly asleep, frowned at Calthaire; her reply to the kaldorei consisted only of grunts and moans of displeasure.<br/>Calthaire released Tieria from her grip and took a step back; allowing Tieria to lift herself off the bed.</p><p>"For how long was I asleep?" Inquired Tieria grumpy, lightly caressing her cheeks with her palms after Calthaire's harsh grab.<br/>"Several hours." Stated Calthaire sharply. The templar exhaled and rubbed her eyes, she did not realize how exhausted she was. She thanked the Blacktalong agent, to which the night elf just nodded and swiftly took her leave.</p><p>Tieria has told herself there is no need to make Wrathion wait. The dragon promised he would ask for her as soon as he and Magni had made a plan.<br/>Lazily, the templar pushed herself off the bed while releasing another yawn. Despite Calthaire stating that the paladin slept for several hours – she still felt restless and drained.</p><p>With haste, Tieria adjusted her shoulderpads and mid-way of exiting the tent, she grabbed her gauntlets.</p><p>As soon as Tieria entered the Chamber of Heart, the iron dwarves closed the heavy doors behind her. The templar paid no attention to it, and focused on receiving a greeting from Magni.</p><p>As before, Magni and Ebyssian were present in the chamber, and Wrathion was next to them. There was another being present in the Chamber of Heart. Someone Tieria was not acquainted with.<br/>Whenever this fifth member could count as a 'person', was a matter of debate.</p><p>A large, grey titan with blue runes imprinted throughout the body, stood in the back of the chamber. The silhouette was shaped that of a woman's; her attire, which consisted of long boots, a kilt, a sleeves chestpiece, gauntlets and a large helmet, was made entirely out of bronze. Her lighting-blue eyes were staring down upon Magni as she stood idly.</p><p>"Ah, young paladin!" Addressed the Speaker to Tieria. "This is M.O.T.H.E.R. One of the titanic watchers. Her main function is to carry out experiments of Old Gods samples, in the research facility of Uldir; hence – she has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, especially that which might resolve the Old Gods' threat. She has been helpful in healing the damage in Silithus so far, and I believe she will provide great aid in the future."</p><p>"Accessing greeting database…" Began the titanic watcher, in a mechanical female voice; after a short pause, a single word came out: "Hello."<br/>"Hello… <em>M.O.T.H.E.R.</em>" Blinked Tieria surprised at both the unusual abbreviation and the titanic creature herself.</p><p>The templar has encountered Titanic creations before; however, she had limited interaction with them. Something about M.O.T.H.E.R felt both frightening and warming.<br/>Afterwards, Tieria turned her focused away from the Titanic watcher. Her dark eyes began roaming around what was called <em>'The Chamber of Heart'.</em></p><p>"What is this place?" Asked the templar, realizing that she did not inquire the origin of the chamber earlier that day. Her eyes were peered at the tall, bronze pillars with unreadable runes upon them.<br/>"'Tis an ancient titan vault." Explained Magni warmly. "Azeroth has whispered it to me. From here, I can hear her voice clear as water." In his voice, proudness and joy was detected. Clearly, the Bronzebeard thane was honored to have been elected to speak for the world itself.</p><p>Nobody could define what worthiness one must hold in this soul, to be granted the duty and power as Speaker of Azeroth.</p><p>Tieria walked towards the center, close to the large titan machinery which was built unto the glass floor. Much like the rest of the chamber, it was made out of bronze, with various runes inscribed upon the circular machinery. Through the glass opening, she saw heavy machinery operating but could not understand what precisely the machine was functioning for.</p><p>But she felt a wave of cosmic power coming out from it; her eyes flickered and her breathing hastened.</p><p>"That… Is the Forge of Heart." Pursued to explain Magni upon noticing Tieria's attention on the forge. "This is what is holding our world from completely dying."<br/>Gently, Tieria reached out to touch the forge. Despite the cold chamber, the metal of the device was warm.<br/>The heartbeat sounds the templar heard earlier grew louder. As if... <em>Inside</em> the machinery was beating the heart of the world itself.</p><p>That particular thought overwhelmed Tieria.</p><p>How many mortals could say that they were in the exact place where their own world's heart was? Many would think the planet does not have a heart to begin with.<br/>Now, the templar understood why the Dark Titan had struck Silithus; he did not care for the desert - he cared for the heart. He attempted to pierce Azeroth into her very core.</p><p>To think - only a couple of inches deeper - and Sargeras would have succeeded.</p><p>
  <em>"Obey, child... Do what you must..."</em>
</p><p>Upon hearing mumbling whispers in her mind, Tieria's eyes widened and gradually, she started to hear a ringing noise in her ears. In the same manner as it occurred in Tanaris.</p><p>Her palm was no longer laid gently on the forge; instead, her fingers curled into a tight fist as the ringing noise persisted – growing louder and louder.</p><p>
  <em>"Tieria…"</em>
</p><p>She heard her name but could not recognize whose voice it was.</p><p>"Tieria!" the voice called out again, this time loud enough for Tieria to snap to reality. She realized it was Wrathion who was addressing her; the paladin swiftly turned to her right to gaze upon the black dragon.</p><p>His brows snapped together while he looked at her with an alarming stare. Both Ebyssian and Magni inspected the templar concerned.<br/>"You were… <em>Gone</em> for a moment there." Elaborated Wrathion. "I could see it in your eyes."<br/>"I am well." She stated weakly while taking a couple of steps away from the forge. "Merely still asleep."</p><p>Despite her reassurance, Wrathion appeared unconvinced. He continued to look alarmed at Tieria.</p><p>"Do you require an examination?" M.O.T.H.E.R's mechanical voice inquired. Tieria lifted her head to look up at the tall Titanic watcher and shook her head.<br/>"Thank you, but I do not require it." Reassured the templar with a soft smile. She wondered what were the limits of the Titanic construction knowledge, particularly regarding the emotional and physical aspect of the mortals on Azeroth.</p><p>Wrathion coughed to gain everyone's attention; he was elected to ignore the little incident with Tieria; perhaps the templar was speaking the truth - she was still tired. Nonetheless, time was pressing and they could not afford too many rests.</p><p>"To get to our task:" Began the Black Prince firmly. "Magni and I believe that we can use the Forge of Heart against N'Zoth. Provided we fill the forge with a large amount of power." He crossed his arms as he spoke, while staring down at the titan machinery he was talking of.<br/>"And <em>how</em> do we do that?" Tieria intervened, already assuming that infusing a titanic forge with power is no easy task.<br/>"By activating the main Forges." Replied Magni.</p><p>Wrathion shot a small glare to the dwarf, he disliked being interrupted; but seeing as Magni might have more knowledge in that matter – he allowed the dwarf to continue:</p><p>"There are multiple Titan forges located on Azeroth. But there are two primary ones, known as the Twin Forges: The Forge of Origination, in Uldum and the Forge of Will, in the depths of Northend. They were built by the Titan watchers, after the Old Gods were defeated, with the purpose ta help infuse Azeroth's world-soul with cosmic energies. Those two forges are the essence of our lives and our world."</p><p>"The places you described are both oceans apart; practically at the edge of the world." Bellowed Tieria grimly.<br/>"We are not far for Uldum." Said Ebyssian, who stood slighter further from Magni and the rest. "And we have already sent people to secure the area." Magni nodded at the elder dragon.</p><p>"We have agreed that we will journey to Northend, to active the Forge of Wills." Added Wrathion. "On the way, I hope we can reach out to an elected number of champions who can fight alongside us when we charge for N'Zoth."<br/>"<em>Where</em> do you intend to gather them?" Tieria asked, noticing a flaw in the dragon's plan. The Black Prince gave an uncertain shrug and glanced at Magni, the dwarf as well, gave a light shrug.</p><p>"I fail to see why we cannot use this place." Surmised Wrathion; his smile swiftly disappeared upon Tieria's disapproving frown.<br/>"<em>No</em>." Forbid Tieria sharply. "This chamber; this forge, is our only weapon against N'Zoth, correct?" The templar asked for confirmation, to which Magni nodded. "Then we can't stay here." She continued.</p><p>Wrathion narrowed his eyes at her and crossed his arms. When Tieria realized that the dragon was waiting for an explanation, her eyes widened in surprise.</p><p>"In the <em>two and a half days</em> that I have known you, you have been attacked <em>three times</em> by N'Zoth's forces." Spoke the templar baffled, since she thought the flaw in the strategy was obvious. "You said it yourself: N'Zoth <em>will</em> strike again and I fear if they discover the forge-"<br/>"They'll attempt tae destroy it – kill Azeroth." Finished Magni upon realizing what Tieria was explaining.</p><p>Wrathion stroked his goatee, analyzing what the templar has just said. He was surprised at himself for thinking through with his plan.<br/>As he was outlining the strategy, the large doors of the chamber began being pushed and a figure was entering through the opening doors.</p><p>A tall, female orc walked inside. She approached everyone with proud and heavy steps.</p><p>She wore a sleeveless black top, which only covered her breasts, exposing her arms, as well as her well-toned abdomen. Her kilt rested loosely on her curvy hips; it was made out of light grey fur, and it was cut to the sides, revealing her legs.<br/>Long velvet hair rested on her heavily tattooed shoulders, with a portion of it being gathered in a high ponytail, some strands were braided within that ponytail. Silver locks of hair which were visible on her head, and the light wrinkles underneath her golden eyes faintly indicated the orc's age</p><p>She was covered in scars, but the particular scar which stood out was the one cutting through her left eyebrow. A golden ring pierced through the bottom of her nose, and numerous rings of multiple sizes were cleaved through both of her ears. Lastly, a necklace made entirely out of animal bones rested on her neck.</p><p>Tieria swallowed heavily, she sensed dominant power coming from the orc; not only her physical power, but even the energy around her radiated.<br/>Her honey-colored eyes were targeted towards everyone. In one swift move, she unsheathed the two axes that rested on her hips.</p><p>"Farseer!" Exclaimed Magni surprised; relief was heard in his tone. "Everyone – meet-"<br/>"Farseer Lorga." Interrupted the orc to present herself. With her entire strength she slammed her axes into the ground, shattering some pieces of the floor. "And you better have a good reason to summon me, Speaker."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Haven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Caradin groaned noisily as the heavy sack of potatoes was pressing against his shoulder. The dwarf walked slowly towards his home, the sound of leaves cracking underneath his heavily dressed feet was heard at every step; wind was whistling in his pink ears.<br/>Winter was just around the corner in Hearthglen; and Caradin was ensuring that he and Eleina were well stocked up with food and supplies for the cold season.</p><p>The dwarf forcefully pushed the door with his leg, entering in his modest house. Hia house was situated nearby the keep; it had two bedrooms on the upper floor, a kitchen and a lounge room on the main floor and a basement downstairs; he purchased after his engagement with Eleina and it was planned to be their home for many years to come.</p><p>Caradin threw the potatoes sack on the table; he exhaled loudly as he wiped away the dust off his hands, by rubbing them against his muscled thighs.<br/>Eleina, who was sitting by the fireplace, enjoying a glass of cider and a good book after a long day of working at the stables, could not help but notice Caradin's unusually heavy sigh.</p><p>"What is bothering you, love?" Inquired softly the dark-haired woman. Caradin turned to face his soon-to-be wife; his blue eyes immediately went down to her lap, where Tieria's cat, Jenafur sat.<br/>The fluffy, multi-colored feline purred in his deep slumber; Eleina reached out to pet his furry head waiting for an answer from Caradin.</p><p>The dwarf released another sigh, while gazing at Jenafur. The mere sight of her pet reminded him of his dearest templar friend. She left so soon after returning from Kul'Tiras, Caradin was unable to even enjoy one last drink with her before her yet another departure.</p><p>"It's Tieria." Confessed the dwarf simply, his eyes shined melancholic at the mention of his friend's name.<br/>"Are you concerned about her?" Assumed Eleina, then she gave the dwarf a reassuring smile. "It is not the first time she has left. She will come back safely."</p><p>"Ye… but-" Caradin ran his fingers through his dark blonde beard, feeling the tangled strands of hair. "She used to travel back and forth to find some book or somethin'." The dwarf waved his arms and reached out to grab his mug. He began pouring ale from the small keg which was situated on their kitchen counter.<br/>"Now, she just took off with the same dragon who tried ta kill us." Once the mug was filled with ale, Caradin sat down on the fur carpet which laid before the fireplace. "I feel like… I just let her go into grave danger; her dragon obsession will be the death o' her."</p><p>Eleina smiled warmly at the dwarf.<br/>Tieria and Caradin used to be inseparable and have shared many adventures together. But Caradin's overprotectiveness over the young templar, has grown after her father's passing a couple of years ago.</p><p>The stablemaster knew well of the dwarf's and the human lass' history: how the dwarf began training the adolescent human in swordsmanship. And as their friendship began forming a strong bond – Tieria was chosen by the Light and was elected to train for the Knights of the Silver Hand.</p><p>The order, sadly, was disbanded; but from its ashes - the Argent Dawn has been formed. That particular order had and served the same beliefs as the Knights of Silver Hand.<br/>However, it was no longer restricted to just paladins. Hence, it allowed Caradin to join alongside his friend, and serve the Argent Dawn to defeat the Scourge. He and Tieria remained in the order after it was renamed to the Argent Crusade.</p><p>Eleina has formed a friendship with the two of them during the Northrend campaign.<br/>The Goldshire archer has sailed to the icy lands to join among the ranks of the Argent Crusade, and there, she met the young templar and the battle-hardened warrior. Once the Scourge was defeated, Eleina decided to start a new life in Hearthglen, since she had no one to return to back in Goldshire.</p><p>It was then that he began an amorous relationship with Caradin and a strong sister-like friendship with Tieria.</p><p>"Caradin… Are you concerned that Tieria went alongside with the dragon, or are you concerned that she went without <em>you</em>?" Teased Eleina with a grin of her red lips, she was confident what answer she would receive.<br/>Caradin smacked his lips after taking a sip of his drink and looked up at the curly haired human.</p><p>"It used to be me and Tiera fightin'. Now she's all by herself." Stated Caradin, his gaze went down to his golden ale. "Makes me wonder if I made the right call retirin' so early." The dwarf reached out his left leg, which once was greatly injured, and gently began caressing it.</p><p>Caradin has had his shares of battles, and has earned the title of Sergeant within the ranks of the Argent Crusade. He was a battlelord in his soul and never feared to charge in front of an army.</p><p>However, that courage and strength had a price.</p><p>At the Broken Isles, where the denizens of Azeroth stood against the last stand of the Burning Legion, Caradin and some of the Argent Crusader knights were battling a handful of demons nearby an ancient Highborne temple which now was known as the Tomb of Sargeras.</p><p>While being outnumbered by the demons, a fel bat swooped from the air and bit Caradin's leg, swaying the dwarf high in the sky with the intention to drop him into the wide ocean. By a miracle – Caradin managed to fight off the winged beast; however, he collapsed on the hard sand with a heavily bleeding leg and multiple broken bones.</p><p>The dwarf survived, thanks to healers who have managed to rescue him in time, and tend to his wounds.<br/>After the battle was won, when Caradin alongside Tieria, and their Argent Crusade comrades paraded back in Hearthglen, the dwarf realized he had reached his limits.</p><p>He proposed to Eleina and retired from the front lines, settling down to train new recruits and focus on his engineering skills. Nevertheless, after the passing of a season or two, Caradin has begun missing the thrill of battle and the glory of victory.</p><p>Fighting the black dragon was the most alive he has felt since the Burning Legion's defeat.</p><p>His retirement has also caused him and Tieria to spend less time together. The templar has begun her quest to search for the Dragon Isle while Caradin was focusing his entire attention on restoring Hearthglen and building a good life for him and Elaine.</p><p>Both the paladin and the dwarf warrior realized that they were starting a new chapter in their lives; but it was difficult to accept it.</p><p>"What does your heart tell you?" Asked Eleina softly. She did not feel any sort of jealousy or resentment towards Caradin's desire to be with Tieria. Elaine well understood their friendship they had was one of a kind.<br/>"Aaah… I cannot hear it." Exhaled Caradin in defeat while shaking his golden head. "I want to fight… But I also want to remain by yer side."</p><p>Elaine smiled at his confession as her eyes beamed with affection. She awoke the cat from his slumber by picking up and rising from the armchair. She placed Jenafur to rest by himself on the soft furniture as she knelt next to Caradin.</p><p>Gently, Eleina gripped his shoulder and squeezed them. Caradin chuckled and reached out to grab one of her hands and place a kiss atop it.<br/>"Give it some time." Whispered Eleina in his ear. "It will give you an answer."</p><p>Caradin smiled inwardly, blessing the ancestors for giving him such a wise and patient woman by his side.<br/>He let himself sink into her, his back lying against her chest as Eleina wrapped her arm around him and rested her soft cheek on his head. While relaxing in the arms of his beloved, Caradin closed his eyes, listening to peaceful fire cracking the burning logs, within the hearth.</p><hr/><p>"The Old God?" Repeated Lorga, afterwards she released a scoff; her strong and yet, feminine voice echoed within the Chamber of Heart.<br/>Her jaw clenched at the very words she spoke; the orc began pacing in circles while staring at Magni, who has told her of the reason he has asked for her here.</p><p>"That is a bold assumption." Stated the orc shaman. "Most of the Old Gods have been defeated. Only one remained - the weakest of his kin."<br/>"N'Zoth might be the weakest." Intervened Wrathion. He took a step forward, causing the orc to size him up. "However, he is the most threatening of them all."</p><p>Lorga did not reply. She glared at Wrathion then returned her attention to Magni while crossing her muscular arms. Tieria glanced at the Black Prince, the corner of his lips twitched irritated because the orc was neglecting his words.</p><p>"And you intend on defeating The Corruptor with a whelp and a human pup?" Lorga said to the Speaker. Wrathion and Tieria exchanged looks; both of them were taken by surprise by the fact that the orc knew Wrathion's true form.</p><p>The Black Prince glanced at Ebonhorn, who did not seem surprised by Lorga's attitude or knowledge.<br/>"They are here to help, Farseer." Continued Magni, while gesturing his head at Wrathion and Tieria. "They know how we can build a weapon against N'Zoth."<br/>Despite her expression remaining displeased, the orc's golden eyes softened. She remained silent while waiting for further explanation from Magni.</p><p>However, a silence has befallen in the chamber.</p><p>As she watched Lorga pace around the room, Tieria's eyes found themselves gazing down upon the orc's feet. She was wearing basic sandals, revealing a large part of her legs. Around both of her ankles, marks of shackles remained.</p><p>Her skin in that particular area was dry and stripped away from its glistening green color. It indicated that the orc might have been shackled for a heavy amount of time and given the state of those scars, it looked that it had occurred a long time ago.</p><p>Tieria lifted her eyes at Lorga once again, wondering who was this orc and why Magni asked for her. Not that she had any issue against orcs, the templar respected all the races of Azeroth, regardless of their history. Naturally, as long as they show respect to Tieria herself.</p><p>"Farseer…" Murmured Magni. "Ye said that the elements are troubled… This is our chance to save 'em, and Azeroth herself."<br/>Lorga's jaw tightened at his words; she shot a small glared toMagni.</p><p>The mention of the elements, and the orc's reaction, made Tieria theorize that Lorga must be a shaman - powerful practitioner who communes with the ancestors and seeks to balance the raging elemental forces.<br/>Often, a shaman acted as a spiritual guide to its people. And it was a common role within the ranks of the Horde, especially among the orcs.</p><p>Lorga lifted her gaze at Tieria and Wrathion once more. Her eyes had an unusual spark which Tieria could not make out its meaning. It was a mixture of distrust but also… Pity. As if the shaman knew the troubles of their very souls. It brought a shiver through Tieria's body, and forced the paladin to tear away the eye contact with Lorga.</p><p>As she rested her hands on her hips, Lorga clicked her tongue, determination crossed her slightly wrinkled face.<br/>"I shall discuss this with Rehgar." She said after a long pause. "Then you shall have a definite answer."</p><p>With that, the Farseer turned and took her leave, before anyone else could say another word. Tieria blinked befuddled, she turned at Wrathion whose expression was just as puzzled as hers.</p><p>"Well..." Exhaled Magni in relief and turned to face the dragon and the templar. "Believe it or not, the fact that she's even considerin' it - is a good sign."<br/>"A good sign?" Tieria repeated in disbelief while pointing at the spot Lorga stood before. "<em>That</em> expression did not look like a good sign."</p><p>"Trust me lass, I've known Farseer Lorga for long enough ta know when she agrees with ye or not." Reassured Magni, however Tieria pressed her lips against each other, her face painted with skepticism.</p><p>"Who is she, Magni?" Interrogated Wrathion, his tone hinted slight distrust in the shaman.<br/>"Lorga is a well-known hero to the Horde; but has always placed her duties for the elements and the wellbein' of Azeroth above everythin'. A couple of years ago, she took the position as one of the leaders of the Earthen Ring." Explained the Speaker calmly. "Trust me when I tell ye, Lorga is one of the most powerful ally we can get."</p><p>Much like Tieria, Wrathion remained unconvinced by the Speaker's words. Mainly, because of the distrustful glare Lorga has thrown to him, and for directly ignoring Wrathion's presence. Such an attitude did not bode well with the dragon, regardless how powerful the person was.</p><p>"At any rate..." Exhaled the Black Prince while stroking his long goatee. "Our friend here has made a very valid point." He said while turning to Tieria and returning to the topic of the conversation they had before the Farseer's interruption. "We cannot stay here, or we put our only chance of defeating N'Zoth at risk. We need to find a safe sanctuary before we can proceed."</p><p>"Do you have any idea where you would go?" Asked Magni, to which Wrathion shook his head grimly.<br/>"I am afraid not. I will go to discuss with Calthaire right now. I hope by the day's end we will have a destination to go to." He said ominously, evidently, he was troubled by the thought of N'Zoth's agents attacking the Chamber of Heart.</p><p>"I will go on a patrol." Offered Tieria as she took a step closer to Wrathion. "I'll scout the camp site and ensure there are no K'thir agents lurking around."<br/>Wrathion's twisted expression softened at Tiera's suggestion and he gave her a nod.<br/>"I'll be 'ere, should yer need anythin'." Stated the Speaker in the end.</p><hr/><p>When Tieria returned from her patrol, the sun was already setting down, marking the end of another day.</p><p>Although healing the world was a crucial task, every soul needed a small hiatus. By sunset, shamans and druids were seen either retreating in their tents or preparing supper by the campfire.<br/>Some of them were also busy with simple tasks like washing their clothes in a small wooden tub, or writing letters to their loved ones who were probably far away from them.</p><p>Despite the reason behind this encampment being appalling, it was endearing to see various races, carrying on with their daily lives in peace.</p><p>Tieria entered the tent, she rested with her traveling companions, to find Calthaire and Wrathion in the dragon's private area of the tent. Without hesitation, she has decided to approach them.</p><p>Calthaire was lying against the edge of the table, which was covered with maps and written parchments, while Wrathion was pacing around restlessly. His coat and gauntlets were thrown on the bed, revealing the black breeches and a grey tunic which the dragon wore underneath.</p><p>"What about Kharazhan?" Urged Calthaire, she wore her usual leather attire but stripped away from her gloves, revealing her slim fingers and claw-shaped nails. Wrathion shook his head as he began rolling the sleeves of his tunic.<br/>"No." Disagreed the Black Prince. "I have already received reports that k'thir were scouring the castle." Noticing Tieria's presence – the dragon focused his attention on her.</p><p>"Anything worth mentioning in your patrol?" Inquired Wrathion immediately, in a quite harsh tone.<br/>The fact that he was continuously being hunted was starting to get on the dragon's nerves. Through his thin shirt, his tense muscles were visible; and his dark eyebrows knitted together indicated his distress.</p><p>"The area seems clear." Replied Tieria calmly. She hoped that the good news would ease the dragon's hostility. "For now, at least." Added the paladin while removing her longsword from her back.<br/>Wrathion released a sigh. Tieria felt uncertain if it was out of either relief or worriedness.</p><p>There was an ominous silence between the Blacktalon kaldorei and the dragon - it appeared that they had failed their mission to locate a safe sanctuary, away from N'Zoth's forces.</p><p>"Any idea on a location?" Tieria broke the silence as she gazed at the two of them. Calthaire looked at Wrathion, waiting for her Master to speak.<br/>"Not yet…" Confessed Wrathion bitterly. "But we need to unearth one as soon as possible. We cannot afford to dwell here for too long." Asserted the dragon; he approached the desk Calthaire stood against, to examine the options on the maps once more.</p><p>"How does the k'thir manage to track you down?" Asked Tieria when she realized it was quite impressive that the minions of the Old God have achieved to locate the black dragon throughout various continents and territories which had no connection between each other; including lands Wrathion would rarely visit, such as Hearthglen.</p><p>Wrathion shrugged at her question, the corners of his mouth lifting into a fake smile:<br/>"N'Zoth has eyes everywhere." He said poetic, spatting at the Old God's name bitterly. "They are using void magic; a <em>raw</em>, pure essence of void magic." Stated the dragon as he ran his fingers through his hair.</p><p>He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Calthaire:<br/>"Whatever it is - every time we push back the attack, they return twice as strong." Growled Calthaire while gritting her teeth. "And every time, the cost of defeating them becomes greater."</p><p>Although she drowned away her sorrow and the mourning, Calthaire was upset over the loss of her brother Ines, who was struck down by a k'thir who attempted to lure Wrathion into a trap.<br/>It was unknown if the Blacktalon agent held a grudge over her Master, however it was certain that she loathed the k'thir and was set on avenging her brother.</p><p>Wrathion pressed his lips against each other; his crimson eyes narrowed at Calthaire. He appeared to be irritated at the night elf's interruption. But nonetheless, the dragon remained calm and switched the topic of the conversation:</p><p>"Calthaire, sent a message to those from the Veiled Stars." Ordered the Black Prince, still grimaced at his agent. "Tell them to report the situation there. Perhaps N'Zoth does not suspect returning to that place again."</p><p>The night elf simply nodded and left to deliver her order.<br/>Once again, Tieria and Wrathion were by themselves. The templar took a step closer to the dragon, examining the desk his eyes were so focused on.</p><p>There were two maps spread across the entire table, one was the generic map of Azeroth, revealing the large continents on each side of the map. The second map was slightly smaller and had detailed information of the land of Pandaria, a place long thought to be mere myth and legend.</p><p>On the map, the land was divided in seven parts and a large isle on the north-western side of it; each of the zones marked in various colors. Unique creatures which Tieria haven't seen before, were sketched on the right upper corner of the map.</p><p>"The Veiled Stars?" Repeated the templar, she has never heard of the location Wrathion has mentioned. However, its name sounded captivating.<br/>"A small region situated between the mountains of Pandaria." Described Wrathion, his attention continuously fixated upon the maps scattered on the desk.</p><p>"The land that was shrouded in dense mists?" Asked the templar for confirmation. The dragon blinked and turned to Tieria, the timid tone in her voice indicated she knew little of Pandaria. Tieria noticed his appalled expression and began explaining herself:</p><p>"I rarely traveled towards the Southern part of Azeroth." Confessed the paladin while shrugging; unable to understand Wrathion's confusion which clouded his features. "I spent most of my life in either Eastern Kingdoms or Northrend."<br/>"Curious." Stated Wrathion, one of his eyebrows was lifted in a sign of intrigue. "Even after the Scourge's defeat in Northrend?"</p><p>"The Lich King may have been defeated, but the Scourge remained; and they continued to attack many settlements on Azeroth." Explained Tiera firmly. "As far as I know – there were no Scourge activities in Pandaria."<br/>"No, there were not." Chuckled the dragon, his expression softening as he was no longer discussing the k'thir. "However, it is a land worth exploring. The sheer volume of knowledge and wisdom you can acquire in that place is astounding."</p><p>Tieria could not help but smile at the great enthusiasm Wrathion spoke of Pandaria. Suddenly, the tension in his muscles was visibly fading away and his eyes twinkled at the mention of the mystical continent.</p><p>"It seems you are rather fond of Pandaria." Purred Tieria while smiling slyly, the Black Prince released another short snicker.<br/>"I am." Confessed the dragon without hesitation. After a small pause, he spoke again: "I have learnt much from those lands and I must admit, I felt a certain kinship with the people of Pandaria." His voice began gradually to warm up, returning to its sensual tone he usually spoke in.</p><p>"It sounds worth visiting." Said the templar dreamily, her face brightening as well at the pleasant conversation.<br/>"It certainly is." Nodded Wrathion humbly and then, a smile formed on his lips. "Perhaps after this madness is over, you can afford to visit it."</p><p>Tieria giggled emptily as she looked at the dragon. She loved Azeroth and the wonders she held.<br/>Much like any other being from this world - the young templar has set in her heart that she would explore as much of Azeroth as she could before old age seizes her<em> (provided it is not on a boat).</em></p><p>"Provided we make this out alive." Exhaled Tieria, her choice of words caused Wrathion's smile to disappear; causing the dragon to snap to reality.</p><p>Despite the harsh words, it was the truth - they might not survive to journey to Pandaria again. N'Zoth continued to advance, and he grew more powerful every day and Wrathion felt that.<br/>It made him bitter that he was failing to match up with the Old God's.</p><p>An uncomfortable silence has befallen in the tent, which tensed Tieria. The templar glanced down at the maps then swiftly back at Wrathion.<br/>"Is there anything I can help with?" She wondered, diverting from everything else they have spoken about. Wrathion's lips formed a smirk as he shook his head at her.</p><p>"I am afraid not. Calthaire will take patrol for the night, although I believe we are safe here – we have to take precaution." Explained the dragon, once again in his regular, sanguine tone. "You may rest for the remaining days that we stay here. I am aware that there are hot springs nearby the camp; unnatural ones, made by the shamans with the aid of their elementals."</p><p>Tieria smiled at his kind offering however, she could not help but feel unsettled by his proposal. "I am supposed to sit, soaked in a hot-water spring while you tear your hair out trying to find a safe location for us?" She inquired rhetorically, to which Wrathion grinned; his eyes flashed as he looked at her.<br/>"Would you rather have me join you in the hot spring as well?" Teased the dragon slyly, with an alluring smile overtaking his lips.</p><p>Tieria's dark-brown eyes went round and her cheeks reddened; evidently, she was stunned by his suggestion. Especially since the templar was uncertain if he was genuine or merely jesting.<br/>She blinked rapidly at Wrathion, instead of giving an answer. Her mind began playing tricks by visualizing the suave half-elf loosened up in steaming water.</p><p>The templar nibbled on her bottom lip as she attempted to wipe away the silly imagery and recollect her thoughts. There was nothing foul of having such desires, however this was hardly the time for them. Besides, there was the matter of fact that underneath the handsome male exterior was an actual <em>dragon</em>; she could not help but think if the particular scenario would even be appropriate.</p><p>Wrathion immediately noticed her heated expression and released a loud laugh.<br/>"At ease, templar." Snickered the dragon; Tieria's blush intensified because of his chuckle. "I am afraid, I am too busy at the moment to keep you company."</p><p>Tieria swiftly brushed away her embarrassment with a forced smile, but Wrathion wasn't fooled by it. He found her flustering amusing and even endearing to some extent. The dragon leaned in her ear and whispered entrancingly:<br/>"Although, your eyes <em>do</em> shine with interest, dear templar." Murmured the dragon.</p><p>Tieria turned scarlet, and goosebumps began on forming on her skin. As she felt losing the balance on her feet, her hands instinctively gripped the edge of the desk. Rhe templar let her body weight rely against the table while battling her long lashes before the Black Prince, enchanted by his voice.</p><p>Wrathion took a step aside, his smile everlasting on his tender lips.<br/>Overwhelmed by ecstasy and apprehension that ran through her entire body, Tieria was battling within herself how to act further.</p><p>In a matter of days, which she could number on one hand, Tieria has felt a rush of craving lust for physical intimacy with the alluring half-elf appearing dragon. The main reason was due to the young paladin longing for another's touch; but also, Wrathion's peculiar mannerism and charisma have managed to enrapture her stronger than she anticipated; and in a surprising short amount of time.</p><p>Nonetheless, the templar would not dare to give in to those desires, believing her vision was clouded by physical urges. She also told herself that the timing was highly inappropriate, another factor was that a black dragon was masked behind the dark-skinned half-elf.</p><p>However, his alluring teasing - which he obviously enjoyed to perform - did not aid Tieria in keeping her desires on a leash.</p><p>Tieria swallowed heavily and took in a deep breath, pushing away her suggestive thoughts. And at last, the templar was able to speak again:<br/>"I think I will retreat for the rest of the day and take an early slumber." She said weakly while surveying Wrathion's crimson eyes. The dragon gave a light nod to her and said:<br/>"Do have a good rest then."</p><hr/><p>That night - Tieria slept only a little.</p><p>She found herself awakened late into the night, only a couple of hours away from sunrise.<br/>Calthaire, as Wrathion mentioned during the day, was outside on a patrol, allowing Tieria to take advantage of not having the need to share her portion of the tent.</p><p>The templar sat crossed-legged on the modest bed, with a little lantern next to her, shining the pages of the Dragon Tome she has acquired from Kul'Tiras, but haven't had the opportunity to read thoroughly just yet.</p><p>She flipped through the old pages, attentively analyzing each of the sketches. Given the situation she was in, the templar was searching for more information regarding black dragons in particular. Her eyes settled upon a life-like drawing of a female black dragon; <em>"Broodmother Onyxia"</em> was inscribed underneath the portrait of the head.</p><p>"Onyxia." Read Tieria to herself. "A clever, highly intelligent dragon..." She pursued to read, her voice occasionally dropping as she continued reading in silence.</p><p>However, unconsciously, the paladin would read some sentences out loud, particularly the ones she found worth memorizing:<br/>"Though Onyxia has been sighted traveling to and from Blackrock Mountain, her main lair is located in a fiery cave below the Dragonmurk, in Dustwallow Marsh..." Tieria dropped from reading upon seeing the name of the vast and ancient swamp from the eastern reaches of Central Kalimdor.</p><p><em>"Dustwallow Marsh…"</em> mouthed Tieria voicelessly. Her mind was processing why that particular land felt familiar to her. Once again, unknowingly, the templar spoke to herself:</p><p>"The land where Jaina Proudmoore took many survivors of Lordaeron to, after Dalaran had fallen to the Scourge during the Third War…" While biting her lower lip, Tieria started thoroughly to remember the details of that particular historical event.</p><p>She was a young lass, no younger than the age of thirteen when the Scourge rampaged her homeland. It was during that dark period when she was given the essence of Light, and ascended into the ranks of the Knights of the Silver Hand after many moons of intensive training.</p><p>She ran her fingers through her hair while grunting; her mind attempted to wrap itself around to why Dustwallow Marsh kept surfacing in her thoughts.<br/>As if the Light itself had given her an answer, Tieria found herself gasping and swiftly jumping out of her bed.</p><p>In a hurried pace, she approached the drape which separated the portion of the tent where Wrathion slept in.<br/>"Wrathion?" Whispered Tieria, not daring to pull away the drape. "Wrathion, are you asleep?"<br/>She heard movement, and a light groaning. The dragon immediately reacted to his name being called out and rose out of the bed.</p><p>The Black Prince opened the piece of leather which acted as a divider and stood in front of Tieria. Through the small lantern which stood lit on Tieria's bed, she saw Wrathion's expression was still in slumber. His eyes were lazily opened and the dragon stood silently in front of her, waiting to learn why Tieria woke him up at such an hour.</p><p>The templar tossed away the guilt of awakening the dragon and spoke with a bright smile on her face:<br/>"I know where we can hide safely away from N'Zoth's forces."</p><hr/><p>"The same dragon? Are you certain?" Rehgar asked that morning. He looked at his mate as she was dressing up.<br/>Unlike Lorga, who was already getting ready to start a new day, Rehgar was still lying underneath the multiple covers made out of animal fur, unwilling to get out from the comfortable bed.</p><p>"When have my visions lied before, Rehgar?" Lorga posed a rhetorical question, while adjusting the straps of her leather chestpiece. Rehgar grunted, unable to give a reply; he continued to watch Lorga adjust her attire, admiring her exposed muscles and reacting to her every move.</p><p>She has barely returned from her recent trip from Outland; and as much as the old gladiator did not want to admit - he did not want to see her leave his side just yet. Nonetheless, much like him, Lorga had duties to uphold as a member of the Earthen Ring.</p><p>Rehgar rested his head on the pillow once more. As he looked at Lorga, he found himself thinking of the old times. The days where he was an arena master, gathering trophies and earning a name.</p><p>He has always loved the thrill of standing in a battle ring, for the orc has been practicing it since the moment he could hold a dagger in his hands.<br/>Lorga enjoyed watching him or his arena combatants fight, but was elected not to join in the arena itself. She always merely stood by Rehgar's side as his mate, while he showered her and their son with the riches he has collected as an arena master.</p><p>Those were simpler times, and now – Azeroth was at the death's doorstep and as a shaman, both Lorga and Rehgar had to abandon their simple lives in order to save the world.</p><p>"What will you do then? Wouldn't it be easier to kill him now and be done with it?" Rehgar continued with his questions. After a long pause, Lorga sighed and shook her head weakly.<br/>"No… For all you know, my actions will lead me to the event I foresaw." Explained the Farseer while arranging her leather bracers, decorated with wolf fur and fangs around them, around her wrists. "I will join them." She said with confidence. "As the ancestors guide me to."</p><p>Since youth, the Farseer has been gifted with visions which foresaw the future. She always believed that it was the ancestors who have granted her this power.<br/>The dreams would come on an arbitrary occasion; sometimes they were vague, unclear. The other times they only told the half-truth, or it would be an event which would occurr in the next decade.</p><p>However, one thing was certain – whatever the shaman saw in her dreams - it would come to life sooner or later.</p><p>Lorga was always cautious with her visions and elected to tell only a few numbers of people of her power; and out of that few numbers – only two souls believed the shaman: her mate and her son.<br/>Ignoring the visions have proved to cause great, even fatal damage to Lorga's surroundings. It has taught the shaman to take action the moment she stumbled upon any detail that connected her to those dreams.</p><p>With another vision taking over her slumber, and the elements whispering frightened of Azeroth's wound, Lorga realized she had to take a stand in the front-line of the upcoming battle.</p><p>Noticing Rehgar's unusual silence, Lorga turned her head towards her mate and asked:<br/>"Are you not going to tell me to be careful?" She teased with a small smile. Rehgar chuckled in reply.</p><p>"I do not need to tell you that; you always come back safe to me." He said proudly. Lorga leaned it and placed a soft kiss on Rehgar lips, her fingers traced over his cheekbones as she peered into his eyes.<br/>"I will join our son, in Uldum." Informed Rehgar of his decision.</p><p>Lorga's nodded, elated to hear that her little pup would not fight by himself. Although he has already reach of age and grew up to be a strong, honorable orc, who inherited the abilities to use the elements much like his parents - in her eyes, he always was her little boy. And the thought of father and son, defending the world together eased her heart.</p><p>"Do not leave before saying farewell." Pleaded Lorga softly, Rehgar reached out to grab her chin.<br/>"Same goes for you."</p><p>They sealed another kiss before Lorga grabbing her weapons and exiting the tent.</p><p>The Farseer intended to immediately head inside the Chamber of Heart, to discuss things over with Magni again. However, once the shaman was approaching the transporting pad, she felt a soft touch on her bare shoulder.<br/>Lorga swiftly turned, and widened her eyes at the sight of the young human from the previous day.</p><p>As one of the first to orcs to cross the Dark Portal and fight in the First War and forward, Lorga had a natural detestation for humans; her particular history with humans was filled with nothing but hatred and pain.</p><p>Feeling the touch of the female human made Lorga's blood boil. Her golden eyes pierced into the templar with distrust, which probably intimated the human, given that she stood silently in front of Lorga.</p><p>"Have you swallowed your own tongue, paladin?" Spat Lorga. The human blinked rapidly and shook her head at the orc.<br/>"No…" She coughed and looked up at the Farseer akin to a shy child.</p><p>She recollected her thoughts and spoke again much clearer this time:<br/>"Speaker Magni has asked for me to inform you of our new plan: we are journeying to Dustwallow Marsh. If... If you are set on joining us - we leave at noon."</p><p>Lorga stared at the young human, who was probably close age to her son. The orc sized her up; the gold and bronze armored kilt and the large, Argent Crusade sword clasped behind her back indicated that she might be a paladin.</p><p>They were powerful warriors who harbored the ability to control the Light; and in Lorga's experience they were worthy opponents.<br/>Nonetheless, the innocent, almost naive look in the young human's eyes, and the delicate features on her face and body, made the orc wonder if this one has had any involvement in a war.</p><p>"I want to hear it from Magni himself." Declared Lorga plainly, unwilling to give any statement of her decision to the human until she has discussed in depth with the Speaker.<br/>The Farseer took a step back, making the human lose the grip from her shoulder. Then she walked over the transporting pad to be redirected towards the Chamber of Heart.</p><p><em>"That was dreadful."</em> Complained Tieria to herself while heavily sighing. That radiance of power which emitted from the Farseer intimidated the templar more than she anticipated.<br/>Putting behind her that uncomfortable with the Farseer. Tieria returned to her tent, ready to inform Wrathion regarding Lorga's situation.</p><p>However, a large shadow which suddenly covered the sun, took her attention away. Tieria lifted her head to gaze as the sky, to witness a dragon silhouette flying into the crimson sky of Silithus.<br/>The templar could not help but smile when she saw the dragon, Wrathion was finally able to extend his wings and fly without any pain.</p><p>This was the second time Tieria has seen Wrathion in his natural form.</p><p>He landed proudly in front of her, opening his wings as largely as he could. There was no visible sign of the wound on his shoulder anymore. His black scales shined brightly against the light of the sun, his crimson eyes sparkled with pride, the golden hoops that rested in his horns reflected brightly, nearly blinding Tieria.</p><p>"<em>Wow</em>…" She breathed out while starting at the glistening black dragon. It was aweing to stand in the presence of such a magnificent creature. The view before her deepened her fascination for these beasts.</p><p>"It feels good to spread my wings." Exhaled Wrathion; Tieria smiled at the dragon's happiness. She took a couple of steps closer to the dragon, standing only a couple of inches away from his large claw. Wrathion may not have been the size of a full matured dragon, however he still looked intimating.</p><p>"Since you can fly…" Began the templar, her eyes analyzing every inch of the dragon. "Does that mean that we can fly towards Dustwallow Marsh on your back?"</p><p>The dragon's scoffed, his nostrils flaring caused a small wind towards Tieria.<br/>"I am not some gryphon you can put a saddle on!" Growled the winged-creature, his deep, echoing voice only added to his intimidating appearance. He shot the templar a glare, his piercing gaze gripping her heart.</p><p>Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke enveloped the dragon and in a blink of an eye - Wrathion returned into his half-elven form.</p><p>"To add to it - N'Zoth's agents locate me easier in my natural form." Continue the dragon while standing in his humanoid form in before Tieria. "I am afraid, black dragons flying in the skies of Azeroth is not a common sight."</p><p>Tieria nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed at her suggestion.<br/>"When are you going to tell me <em>why</em> we are flying to Dustwallow Marsh?" Interrogated Wrathion.</p><p>The templar refused to give any much detail during the night. Everything she said was that they could be safe from the Deep One in a particular area in Dustwallow Marsh, and that she would know its precise location once they reached that territory.</p><p>Tieria's face went blank and shook her head, giving once again a vague answer much like the previous night:<br/>"Not yet…" She replied timidly. "I do not want to give false hope."</p><p>Wrathion wasn't the one to blindly put his faith in anyone, but Tieria has proved to be resourceful and quite helpful.<br/>Given the fact that the Black Prince had no other option, he has opted to trust the templar and ordered Calthaire to prepare the mounts to fly to Dustwallow Marsh.</p><p>A line appeared between the dragon's brows, but he remained silent. He found himself hoping that the journey would not be a waste of time.</p><hr/><p>An hour later, Magni and Ebyssian alongside Farseer Lorga approached the Black Prince and his companions. They were already readying themselves for their journey to central Kalimdor.</p><p>Lorga held a saddled wyvern on a leash, which gave away the fact that the shaman was planning on joining Wrathion on his 'expedition'. The dragon was curious to hear the reason behind the orc's decision and expected an explanation. However, a different sentence came out of Lorga's mouth:</p><p>"Magni has told me you are being hunted down by The Corruptor." She began in yet another harsh tone. Wrathion flinched at the way the orc called the Old God; albeit it was an accurate title N'Zoth was known as in history, that name only reminded Wrathion of the atrocities the Old God has committed, upon his father and his kin.</p><p>The Black Prince, already mounted on a gryphon, simply gave a nod to Lorga, his eyes watching the orc attentively.</p><p>"I have told her more than that." Added Magni, who could not help but notice the tension between the Farseer and the dragon, attempted to ease it. "I mentioned the fact that ye will gather a few champions who will charge with you into the veil after we activate the Forge of Will. The Farseer agreed-"<br/>"I can speak for myself, Speaker." Interrupted the orc, the diamond dwarf shut his mouth without a single protest.</p><p>Tieria's eyes slightly widened at the fact that the orc dared to silence the Speaker of Azeroth himself. Orcs were naturally very proud creatures, Lorga however, seemed to push her arrogance beyond an average orc.</p><p>"I am joining your little crusade against the Old God." Declared the Farseer, her eyes fixated on Wrathion.<br/>"With all due respect, <em>Farseer</em>..." Began the Black Prince smug, somewhat mocking her title. "You do not seem too thrilled about it."</p><p>The orc released an empty chuckle, her lips forming a false smile between her tusks:<br/>"I live for battle like any true orc. But I do not enjoy fighting against the end of the world." She replied sinisterly. "I have fought, and lost <em>that</em> war."</p><p>Wrathion realized that the shaman spoke of the world of Draenor - the homeworld of the orcish race which has been torn apart by foul magic.</p><p>Given the fact that Lorga accentuated that she fought before Draenor's destruction, Wrathion formed the conclusion that she has witnessed numerous important events which have occurred both on Draenor and Azeroth.<br/>The dragon began to see why Magni insisted that Lorga would prove to be a powerful ally, despite her unpleasant attitude.</p><p>Calthaire released a loud cough to gain her Master's attention, Wrathion tore away focus from the shaman to look at the night elf. Her silver eyes glistened in alertness, mimicking that time is running out and the k'thir could be getting closer to him with every second.</p><p>The Black Prince pushed aside whatever unsettling he had with the shaman, and gripped tighter the reins of the gryphon. He gestured with his head to Lorga's wyvern; she instantly understood his silent message, and mounted on the beast.</p><p>"Let us know if yer find anythin' in Dustwallow Marsh." Pleaded Magni to the group.</p><hr/><p>Calthaire was the first to order her gryphon to rise in the air, the rest followed after the Blacktalon - flying towards north-east.</p><p>Dustwallow Marsh had long been home to dangerous beasts. Navigation was always extremely difficult and it was said that many adventurers have lost their way in this great jungle, where trees obscure the sunlight and raptors, spiders and crocolisks lie in wait, hunting those brave enough to venture close to their lairs.</p><p>As a hot, fetid swampland, this place was being fed by underground springs which kept it eternally wet and muddy. Mosquitoes buzzed in the air; trees dipped fronds into the waters. It was truly an unpleasant area, and one would wonder why would anyone want to build any settlement here.</p><p>Wrathion and his companions flew for more than four hours, towards the northern side of the marshes, past the ruins of Theramore. The fallen Alliance city could be seen from a large distance still radiating with arcane energy.</p><p>"Calthaire, lower us close to that fortified scout tower." Ordered Tieria, who once again, rode behind the kaldorei on the gryphon.</p><p>It could confidently be said that everyone felt a large relief when the templar finally declared that they have reached their destination. Despite its odd appearance. No matter how odd it was.<br/>They all dismounted before a broken scout tower. Some blocks of steps were broken, weeds were growing from every opening between the rocks, there was a large hole in the wall of the tower. Shards of glass, fallen from the broken windows were scattered on the ground; even animal bones were seen scattered around.</p><p>Nobody could understand how Tieria possibly saw <em>that </em>as a safe location.</p><p>Nevertheless, the templar daringly entered into the crumbled tower, analyzing its surroundings. It looked as if she was searching for a specific sign or object; which prompted Wrathion to finally ask her:</p><p>"<em>What</em> are we doing here?" He inquired accusingly. He blinked dissatisfiedly at the shattered building, which certainly has been abandoned for more than a decade. Tieria turned to look down at her feet as she began pacing around the tower.</p><p>"When Jaina Proudmoore sailed to Kalimdor, a few Knights of the Silver Hand aided her in escorting the refugees." The paladin began to explain, her eyes still focusing on the dusty and old ground. With her left foot she moved some vines away.</p><p>"Unlike the city of Theramore which was built by citizens of Lordaeron, the scouting towers within these marshes were built by templars of the order, which meant that the towers were incredibly fortified." Everyone attentively listened to Tieria while she had her eyes attention fixated on the ground. "Gradually, a tension arose between both Theramore and Durotar. Admiral Daelin Proudmoore took control of the city and started a war against the Horde. The war ended-"</p><p>"After Daelin Proudmoore's death." Concluded Lorga. She spoke neither angry nor happy when she mentioned the Lord Admiral's death.</p><p>Daelin Proudmoore was a hated enemy of the Horde, and giving the fact Lorga was part of that Horde - it was safe to assume that the Farseer hated the Kul'tiran man much like the rest of her kin.</p><p>"Right." Nodded Tieria at the orc. Then after taking in a deep breath, the paladin spoke again: "By that time, the order of the Silver Hand has been disbanded, by none other than Arthas Menethil himself after accusing Uther the Lightbringer of treason, and relieving him from his command. The templars who remained with Prince Arthas – marched alongside him against the people in Stratholme. They have committed the same heinous act in many other cities across Lordaeron and they have been titled the Deathlords - forever tarnishing the name of the order."</p><p>Realizing her explanation was drawing for quite a while, Tieria took a small pause, attempting to cut the story short:</p><p>"However, some paladins remained loyal to the Light and have started to build hidden sanctuaries underneath their fortresses; they would recruit, train and build an armory before once again rising to the surface to face the Scourge. We know that one of these sanctuaries lies underneath Light's Hope Chapel, but more were built across Azeroth." She continued to explain while beginning to tap her foot on the heavy rocks.</p><p>Wrathion watched as Tieria's feet kept dancing around the floor of the tower. When a loud noise was heard underneath one of the rocks, the templar's lips curved into a smile.<br/>She removed her sword from her back and she gently laid it on the ground. Then, Tieria began moving aside any debris and vines which were surrounding one particular block.</p><p>"And you believe one of them is here as well?" Asked Wrathion, unable to understand why Tieria would theorize that such a sanctuary would exist amidst a dirty marshland in the middle of nowhere.<br/>The templar knelt in front of the block and brushed away a couple of hair strands away from her eyes.</p><p>"I..." Tieria took in a deep breath, preparing to give what she thought was a silly answer. "I <em>feel</em> that one of them is here. As if... The spirit of a Silver Hand knight is whispering it to me."</p><p>Upon the block, under layers of dust, a cracked and almost washed away, insignia of the perished organization was sculpted.</p><p>The order of the Silver Hand took its name and symbol from the legend of Tyr. A paragon of order and justice, Tyr sacrificed his right hand in a fight against an unfathomable evil. Although it was within his power to fix his hand after the fighting had ended, the hero instead chose to replace it with a closed fist made of the purest silver.</p><p>In this way, he impressed upon those who followed him that true order and justice can only be accomplished through personal sacrifice, hence the symbol represented his closed fist.</p><p>Wrathion's eyes widen at the symbol of the Silver Hand and Tieria's answer. It was formidable to learn that the Light was so powerful, it connected its followers between each other.</p><p><em>"To strive to be divine for one of our kind does not mean we strive for godhood."</em> Tieria quoted the Book of Divinity in a soft whisper as she placed her palm upon the sigil.</p><p>A soft, silver light appeared through the gaps of the stone. Tieria swiftly jumped aside before the block began lifting itself up, slowly it began dragging itself to the side, exposing a large entrance towards the underground.</p><p>A large spider crawled out of the opening, causing Tieria to jump in surprise. The templar has always had a weakness towards insects, regardless of their sizes.<br/>Ignoring her own scare jump, Tieria motioned to everyone to follow her as she knelt down again. Upon realizing that there were no signs of stairs, she adjusted herself on the edge of the opening and took a pause to ready herself, before leaping into the hole.</p><p>The rest followed her without hesitation but with doubts in their minds.</p><p>The dive was longer than anticipated, but not dangerous enough to harm the skilled group. However, being surrounded by complete darkness, with the gap of the block being their only source of Light, has certainly made them as if they trespassed upon unsafe grounds.</p><p>Wrathion noticed the faint silhouette of multiple braziers arranged on each side of the walls; he extended his right hand to cast a small spark of fire into his palm, with a swift movement he redirected the fire into the rusty metal braziers, lighting up their surroundings.</p><p>The fires gradually grew bigger, the warm red light began illuminating the ancient paladin underground. Abandoned torn banners of the order of the Silver Hand were lying on the floor, broken stairs and walls were seen at every side, even bones were scattered throughout the chamber indicating that this place has not seen an alive soul in decades.</p><p>Aside from spiders, which were crawling through the corners of this ancient haven.</p><p>The large chamber narrowed into a hallway which extended beyond their eyesight, it was difficult to visualize the size of this sanctuary, but it was certainly larger than the tower that was built above it.</p><p>"If it's anything like the Sanctum of Light from within Light's Hope Chapel." Exhaled Tieria, the cold, underground air caused her voice to slightly tremble. "Then we could store an <em>army</em> in here." She said excitedly. "There should be a forge deeper inside, as well as separate quarters. Perhaps a library too."</p><p>"How did you know this would be here?" Inquired Wrathion astounded by the ancient surroundings. He began to pace slowly around the large chamber, every step he took echoed in the walls.<br/>"The Light." Smiled Tieria.</p><p>"The correct question is – who else knows of the existence of underground paladin sanctuaries?" Lorga intervened while crossing her arms and clenching her strong jaw. Unlike Wrathion, the orc seemed less impressed by the view. Her eyes narrowed, as she watched defensively every corner.<br/>"Those who once served the order of the Silver Hand might know of it." Debated Tieria, unsure how accurate her answer was. "Perhaps other templars from the Sanctum of Light... However, we should not worry about them."</p><p>Wrathion threw a short glance at Tieria; once again the mention of Sanctum of Light and the unusual blabbering from the young templar made its appearance.<br/>It was an odd coincidence, odd enough to catch the dragon's attention. Tieria did not notice his suspicious gaze as she was focused on Calthaire addressing to her:</p><p>"You spoke a certain sentence to get this chamber to open." Pointed out the night elf, much like Lorga, she still felt unsafe on these grounds.<br/>"The Tome of Divinity." Recited the templar. "However, one cannot simply... <em>Quote</em> the book; you must also address the Light as you speak it."</p><p>"Meaning one cannot directly enter here, unless a paladin or a priest opens the way for them." Concluded Wrathion then he released a smirk. "We could indeed use this as our garrison. As we gather forces to fight N'Zoth, the Deep One's minions will be unable to find us."</p><p>"Here, we can prepare our strategy to assault N'Zoth, once we have chosen our selected allies." Smiled Tieria, slight relief formed in her soul; for a moment – the templar felt safe.<br/>Lorga shot a small glare at Tieria as she spoke:<br/>"You might want a small elite team to fight N'Zoth himself, but we will need an <em>army</em> to reach him." Stated the Farseer.</p><p>The orc has faced an Old God before, and she theorized that the ancient entities might retain the same battle strategy: corrupt mortals against their will to fight by the Old God's side.<br/>While the orc agreed <em>(but did not mention out loud)</em> with Wrathion's plan of striking N'Zoth with chosen allies, it would be impossible to invade the Corruptor's stronghold without an army.</p><p>"An army which preferably will not start killing each other the moment they have a pause to breathe." Gritted Tieria between her teeth while referring to the Alliance and the Horde. Lorga's eyes flickered at the templar but ultimately, the orc gave a nod.</p><p>"My Lord," Calthaire called out while taking a step closer to the Black Prince. "Should I summon the rest?" Wrathion nodded as he began stroking his beard.<br/>"Yes." The dragon nodded at his agent. "Tell them to arrive by themselves or only in a group of two. We cannot afford anyone to track them in Dustwallow Marsh."<br/>"Understood, my Lord." Saluted the Blacktalon kaldorei.</p><p>Calthaire required her parchments and ink which were packed in the gryphon's saddle. She walked above the gap of the tower floor and in a blink of an eye, she took a large leap; her hands managed to grab the edge of the floor and with her entire body strength, the Blacktalon agent pulled herself up.</p><p>"We'll need to build stairs if we intend on making this our garrison." Tieria said after she watched Calthaire exiting the chamber in an acrobatic manner. Then the paladin turned her head around, as she examined the tall ceilings. "Maybe swipe away spiders webs too."</p><p>Lorga untangled her arms and fixed her posture while focusing her eyes on the large number of stones. She directed her arms towards the boulders while inhaling deeply.<br/>Slowly, the rocks began trembling from an imaginary earthquake. Gradually, the pebbles and boulders were shaking harder and harder, until finally they lifted themselves in the air.</p><p>As Lorga held her hands aimed at the rocks, her eyes ever remaining shut, the rocks begun arranging themselves atop one another, forming a body, a head and a set of arms.<br/>On the final stone, which served as the head, two golden spheres appeared, resembling eyes - bringing the earth elemental to life.<br/>Lorga did not speak out loud to the elemental minion, as if it read her mind - the formation of her shamanic powers began collecting various sizes of rocks from across the chamber to recreate stairs.</p><p>"Well… That's <em>very</em> convenient." Blinked Tieria, awed to have witnessed up-close a shaman demonstrating their power. The orc gave a proud smirk and then readied herself to call for another earth elemental.</p><p>With Calthaire tasked to summon other Blacktalon agents and Lorga commanding her elemental servants to do a basic organization of this place, Wrathion started to walk deeper into the hall; Tieria found herself going after him.</p><p>They walked in silence next to each other, along the way Wrathion would light fire into any brazier he set his eyes upon.</p><p>"It is fascinating to see this place." Exclaimed the Black Prince, his pupils flared with enthusiasm. "Makes one wonder what other secrets exist in this world." Purred the dragon, his voice echoed strongly within the vast hall.</p><p>Tieria found herself smiling, there was a tint of proudness in herself for being able to contribute to the black dragon's cause. Wrathion focused his gaze at her as his lips formed a smile as well.<br/>"Well, we have our sanctuary." Exhaled the templar. "What is the next step?"<br/>"Now," Began Wrathion. "We start preparing for an assault against N'zoth."</p><p>Once again, the dragon began walking deeper into the hall; it expanded on the left and right side. An extinguished forge was seen at the end of the left hallway and on the right side, the hall was breaking in multiple chambers of various sizes.</p><p>"I still believe we will only need a selected amount of people to charge into His realm. However, Farseer Lorga has stated a good point: we will need an army to break his defenses." Continued Wrathion while exploring the sanctuary.</p><p>Tieria inhaled deeply, the dusty air swiftly filled up her lungs, causing the templar to release a small cough.<br/>She stared at Wrathion, already knowing what the dragon is about to say:<br/>"We will need to address the Alliance and the Horde."</p><p>Tieria could not help herself but release a groan in irritation, Wrathion glared at her, a muscle in his jaw twitched, unable to understand the paladin's reaction.</p><p>"What is it with you and these factions?" Inquired the dragon.<br/>This was not the first time the templar has expressed a strong dislike for the Alliance and the Horde, but has only given an evasive answer before.</p><p>Tieria pursed her lips in a sign of irritation and her forehead puckered as she began to speak:</p><p>"Do you see this scar?" She pointed at the permanent wound which lied upon her upper right cheek. "This is what happens when you try to break apart a Horde and an Alliance soldier." She drew her lower lip between her teeth as she gave a pause. "Their hatred is blinding them, and has caused great damage to this world."</p><p>"You have mentioned that before..." Replied the dragon unconvinced. "Nonetheless, I highly doubt your dislike for them comes because of a mere scar."</p><p>Bitterness shone in Tieria's eyes and her jaw clenched; Wrathion noticed that there was a strong emotion lingering in the paladin's heart. And it seemed that he had managed to trigger that particular bitter sentiment with his interrogation.</p><p>He took a step closer to her; Tieria stood silently, her face contorted and her lashes fluttering while she looked at him.<br/>Wrathion realized that the templar held secrets in her soul, and the hardened expression on her delicate features were a sign that she did not desire to share whatever it was that twisted inside of her.</p><p>The Black Prince reached out to gently trail her scar with his thumb; her cheeks were surprisingly cold. She exhaled softly at the feeling of his skin upon her. Her features visibly began softening at his touch.</p><p>"I suppose... Our choices are limited." Concluded the templar after a long pause. "How do you intend to address the Alliance and the Horde?"<br/>Wrathion retreated his hand, the corners of his mouth turned up.<br/>"I have... An <em>acquaintance</em> among the Alliance. He holds a rather important position there – hence, he would be a good option to start with." Elaborated the dragon in his sly voice.</p><p>Tieria pressed her lips together then gave a nod, agreeing to Wrathion's idea. Time did not allow them to be picky in choosing their allies.<br/>"Where is this acquaintance of yours?' Inquired Tieria.<br/>"A strong and sturdy fortress, fit for an empire... <em>Stormwind City</em>."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Arbitrate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>"To strive to be divine for one of our kind, does not mean we strive for godhood."</em> Whispered Tieria faintly. The gaps between the blocks of stone began gleaming in blue light upon the templar's words.<br/>Just as in the previous times, the stone with the mark of the Silver Hand sculpted on it, moved itself towards the side, revealing the entrance of the hidden underground.</p><p>Tieria lifted her gaze at the two Blacktalon agents, who had just arrived in that afternoon in Dustwallow Marsh as by their master's order.</p><p>Both agents were male humans, and wore the identical black leather attire as Calthaire; however, the short-haired blonde man had a large axe strapped on his back, while his silver-haired comrade held a long staff with a blue crystal resting on its top.</p><p>"You are the mage?" Addressed Tieria to the Blacktalon agent with the staff in his hands. Wrathion has mentioned one of his agents who would be arriving today will be a mage, a master of arcane magic; and he would be invaluable to their upcoming task.</p><p>The silver-haired man simply nodded at the paladin.<br/>"Hop in." Welcome Tieria while smiling and indicated at the opened entrance with a gesture of her head. "Mind the stairs, they are still work in progress."</p><p>The Blacktalon agents immediately jumped down as per Tieria's authorization. Before accompanying Wrathion's operatives, she glanced at the surroundings, ensuring nobody has followed two men to the abandoned watch tower.</p><p>Once confident that the area was clear, Tieria proceeded to walk down the circular stairs, which were recently built by Lorga's elemental servants. The block of stone, which served as the door of their hidden sanctuary, began dragging itself back to its place, once Tieria was underneath it, sealing itself tightly between the rest of the tiles.</p><p>It has been six days since Tieria has guided her group to the hidden underground in Dustwallow Marsh, which was constructed by the Lordaeron paladins of old.<br/>This sanctuary was intended to be used as a safe haven in the time that the Black Prince would gather his allies to build a strategy to fight N'Zoth and His forces. Wrathion titled this temporary home the Ebon Rest.</p><p>Together with the help of Lorga's elementals, and the hard work of the Blacktalon people, the Ebon Rest has become a quite welcoming haven.<br/>The dusty bones have been thrown out, spider webs were wiped away, the gaps on either the floor, wall or ceiling have been resealed with stone; braziers have been lit, warming and lighting the vast halls and chambers.</p><p>Albeit Wrathion and his companions have not managed to explore each individual room which resided in this Silver Hand underground, everyone has already elected a chamber which was turned into their own private resting area.</p><p>Wrathion has taken over the room which was certainly once the main gathering chamber; it was a large area, with a long, oaken desk in the center of it, four chairs resting on each side of the desk, and one situated at the end of it. A massive fireplace was built at the end of the room, and across it - stood a large bed.</p><p>The chamber was situated in the 'crossroad' that split the main hallway into two, and its enormous pine door and statues of gryphons on each side of it, indicated the importance of the chamber.</p><p>Tieria claimed a more modest room, which perhaps once was a bedroom owned by a squire. It was only two rooms away from Wrathion's.</p><p>It had a medium-sized bed resting in the corner, with a desk and a chair across it; and a small, emptied bookshelf stood next to the door. Due to the lack of a fireplace, she has dragged two braziers from the main hallway into her chamber; placing one at the end of the bed, and the other one close to the desk.</p><p>Through the two pillars which held the massive ceiling, vines began growing. Tieria took a liking in having decorative vegetation, hence the templar elected to keep them and even water them on occasion.</p><p>Last but not least, Farseer Lorga chose a room in the deepest end of the hallway. The shaman had no desire to rest in anything extravagant, unlike Wrathion.<br/>A reasonably sized bed, a small night stand on its right side, and an armchair which she has found abandoned in another room, was sufficient for Lorga.</p><p>She was always the first one to retire for the night, and first one to be awake in the morning. Contrary to Tieria, who was actively pursuing to familiarize herself with every Blacktalon member present in the Ebon Rest, the orc spoke only when it was necessary; and chose the company of her own elemental servants.</p><p>Wrathion's agents possessed many skills, and each one of them has been tasked to complete a duty using the skill they excelled in. Some of them have been elected as cooks, others were in charge of fixing, from the broken furniture to pillars and doors.<br/>Many of Blacktalon agents have been entrusted to travel to Ratchet - the closest city in the area - to purchase whatever necessary to make their sanctuary luxurious: pillows, carpets, bundles of furs, crates of food, barrels of various beverages and other items that might be suitable.</p><p>Lorga has taken charge of Wrathion's agents who were restoring the underground building itself, alongside her elementals, the Farseer has been actively engaging in bringing the Ebon Rest in order.</p><p>Tieria, by being the only one able to open the entrance that led to the underground - due to her connection to the Light - stood as a scout of the broken tower.<br/>With the assistance of a gryphon, borrowed from a Blacktalon tracker, the templar patrolled the marshlands every couple of hours.</p><p>In order to not raise suspicion or accidentally reveal their hidden location to the enemy, every pair or group of Blacktalon agents would be set with different meet-up points throughout Dustwallow Marsh, which were given by Wrathion in their letter. The agents were ordered to wait in those certain areas until Tieria's arrival.</p><p>One final step would have to be taken before Tieria would be able guide Wrathion's recruits to the Ebon Rest, and that was searing a cast of holy light into their chest. It was the only approach she could take, in order to ensure that no k'thir would dare to mask himself as Wrathion's agent.<br/>Her spell certainly hurt, even a regular soul, however, it would cause an immense amount of pain to an Old God follower, stripping them out of their disguise.</p><p>With everything being set in motion - Wrathion was able to prepare for the assault against the Corruptor, confidently, that His followers were not watching the black dragon's every step.</p><p>As he has told Tieria a couple of days ago, the Black Prince's next advance was to travel to Stormwind City, to warn the Alliance of the coming danger and plea to lend their forces against the Old God.<br/>The journey was being delayed until a particular agent, who was a mage, would arrive at the Ebon Rest. The mage would simplify the Black Prince's traveling, by casting a spell of teleport on Wrathion, which would be taking him to Stormwind City in an instant.</p><p>While waiting for the mage's arrival, Wrathion has been keeping himself busy with assigning duties to the rest of his agents, and strolling through the unexplored areas of the Silver Hand underground.</p><p>"Farseer." Addressed the black dragon while approaching the orc shaman. Lorga was watching her water elemental filling up the small fountains that were situated upon two sides of the walls, with crystal clear water.<br/>She promptly turned to the dragon upon hearing him calling her by her title. Her dark red eyebrows her displeased expression ever remaining on her faintly wrinkled face.</p><p>"I need your aid." Confessed the Black Prince.<br/>"You cannot order one of your lackeys?" She replied harshly. Wrathion clenched his jaw, but forced a small smile; by now, he has already gotten used to the orc's arrogant attitude.<br/>"Your abilities," Insisted the black dragon, while gesturing his hand towards the various elementals which were roaming around the halls. "will provide a quicker and safer result." He stated simply in his alluring voice.</p><p>Lorga eyed Wrathion up and down while wondering what task he desired her to fulfill. Then, the orc lazily rolled her eyes; the dragon took it as a sign of agreement and began walking towards his destination, with the Farseer, right behind him.</p><p>He guided the shaman deeper into the left side of the corridor, beyond the forge in the corner, which nobody has carried out to ignite yet. Next to the forge and in-between debris, numerous amounts of boulders piled atop one another against the wall.</p><p>Lorga examined the pile, while Wrathion stood slightly behind her. As her golden eyes caught the attention of the door frame that lay behind the stones, the shaman understood why the dragon had asked for her specifically.</p><p>She ordered Wrathion to take a couple of steps back, to which dragon immediately proceeded to do. Then, she inhaled deeply and opened her arms rapidly, while closing her eyes.<br/>Energy surrounded her. Her fingers curled into a fist as she continued to take in heavy breaths. Wrathion, attentively watched as the Farseer was channeling earthen spirit around her, feeling the ground trembling underneath. The earthquake was becoming vociferous, as Lorga enveloped herself with the spirit of the earth.</p><p>The orc brought her fists together and in a swift maneuver, as if she was tearing apart an imaginary piece of cloth, she pulled aside the formation of rocks and boulders. The pile snapped in half upon the orc's movement. Broken stones began rolling off each other, landing loudly upon the ground and exposing the large arc-shaped door they were barricading.</p><p>While impressed by the shaman's power, Wrathion did not say anything. Complimenting her would infuse her indescribably large ego. He approached the old entrance and reached out to the metal handle, eager to see what lay beyond.</p><p>The connections of the door were so rusty, that Wrathion had to push with his entire body to be able to open it. The dragon pressed his right shoulder against the ancient wood, forcing it to open.<br/>The loud sound of clinking metal echoed in the hall prompted Wrathion to exhale proudly as he felt the door finally giving in to his push. Haltingly and yet noisily, the both doors pushed themselves inwards in the dark room; the Black Prince immediately entered inside.</p><p>While watching the dragon walking carefully in the formerly-sealed room, curiosity was getting the best of Lorga, and the orc found herself walking right after him.</p><p>As soon as Wrathion lit the brazier with a single wave of his hand, the Black Prince and the Farseer began examining the room in silence.</p><p>Shelves and weapon racks of various shapes and sizes were placed on every side of the wall, benches were situated in the center of the room, arranged with an even space between each other. Chests and crates were scattered around, inside them were thrown pieces of old armor.</p><p>"This seemed to be the armory." Exhaled Wrathion while picking up an old helmet, which has definitely seen better days. Lorga knelt down to take a steel weapon in her hand.<br/>"Lordaeron weapons." Examined the Farseer as she held a long-sword by its hilt, watching her reflection through the rusty blade. "I haven't seen these in ages."</p><p>"It would be only logical," Added the dragon. "Since the kingdom has fallen decades ago."<br/>"Serves it right." Spat Lorga while gripping tighter the sword, her golden eyes piercing coldly in her own image she saw through the weapon.</p><p>Wrathion glanced at the orc and released an empty chuckle, his thumb caressed the crack which ran through the helmet.</p><p>"Not even trying to conceal your hatred, I see." Remarked the dragon pompously. Lorga clenched her jaw and her face went blank; the orc was evidently unamused at the dragon's attitude.<br/>"Why should I pretend to care for enemies, who have caused nothing but torment to me?" Argued the Farseer, to which Wrathion gave a lazy shrug.</p><p>"There are greater issues at hand than old hatred, Farseer." He replied coolly. Then he rested the helmet on a bench, speculating if the weapons and armors from this arsenal could be polished and put to use once more. "We cannot afford to fight each other." Added the dragon.</p><p>"I did not make any remark which claimed that I intend to fight them." Lorga said defensively, her lips drawing back in a snarl. "I have joined you, and your Alliance companions, have I not?"<br/>"Rest assured, Farseer." Wrathion exhaled; his gaze was no longer focused on the shaman, instead he examined the mace that was resting on a shelf. "None of my companions serve the Alliance."</p><p>Lorga has refrained herself from giving a reply. The once hero of the Horde, gave Wrathion a cold glare, as she always did, and then returned to examine the long-sword.</p><p>The Black Prince adapted to the silence and continued to examine the armory, the tips of his fingers gathered all the dust, as he ran his hand through an empty shelf.</p><p>"You have your shelter against N'zoth." Began Lorga, her eyes still fixated upon the sword. "You have your agents with you as well-"<br/>Wrathion nodded, despite the fact that his attention was fixated towards a weapon rack, which held a polearm and a long-sword of the same kind that Farseer held in her hands. The dragon interrupted the shaman:</p><p>"Now we find those mad enough to enter His domain with us." He said grimly, to which Lorga chuckled.</p><p>She took a pause and looked at Wrathion while simultaneously opening her hand, allowing the weapon to drop and clash loudly on the tiled ground. The noise of the steel's downfall echoed in the room, compelling the dragon to lift his eyes at the orc.</p><p>"How exactly did you find out of N'Zoth forthcoming?" Began the Farseer as she began pacing around Wrathion. "As a shaman… I heard the earth itself whispering me of a darkness awakening. But you are no Earthwarder, like your father; you do not know how to speak to the world."</p><p>The Black Prince's eyes narrowed at Lorga, although the dragon had reserved himself from divulging any information about himself, the Farseer seemed to have a great knowledge about him. And that knowledge she possessed caused her to own a great mistrust in him.</p><p>Since their early moments together, Lorga has done nothing but throw passive-aggressive remarks at him, and always gazed at him with a cautious look.<br/>Wrathion tolerated her attitude; he was well aware the Farseer was powerful, and did not wish to lose a valuable ally due to some petty arguments.</p><p>But as much as the black dragon did not desire to admit, the orc's distrust was affecting him. He theorized that Lorga has chosen to answer to his call, not only because she desired to defeat the Corruptor, but also to keep an eye on the black dragon, ensuring he is not walking in his father's footsteps - and perhaps even ready herself to strike him down - if he does.</p><p>"You hear His whispers." Lorga answered her own questions, her eyes continued to pierce into Wrathion's crimson gaze, as she walked slowly, like a feline stalking her prey.<br/>"I am fighting them back." Gritted Wrathion between his teeth, his nostrils flared in anger. The dragon grew highly displeased at Lorga's hostility.</p><p>"So did your father." Spat the orc as she took a couple of steps closer to Wrathion. He glared at her, swallowing his fury at the mention of Deathwing. An utter silence befallen in the decrepit armory while Wrathion and Lorga had their eyes locked into each other.<br/>"What are you accusing me of, Farseer? <em>Hm</em>?" Growled Wrathion in an antagonistic tone. "You think I am already His servant? Are you assuming that, all of this, is His master-plan in which I gain your trust and bring Azeroth's champions right into His grasp?"</p><p>Lorga's brows remained snapped together while her arms were crossed; she took in a deep breath. Her expression indicated she was preparing herself to speak, but Wrathion continued to talk, disallowing the orc to breathe another word:</p><p>"You may not trust me, orc. Do not think I haven't noticed your glares during these past days." Whispered Wrathion bitterly, his eyes burning with loathing. "But I ask you this: you have agreed with Speaker Magni to aid my cause - seal away your distrust and your accusations."<br/>"This is nothing personal, dragon." Replied Lorga in a softer tone than before. Wrathion was uncertain, but he thought he saw a tint of guilty sparking in the Farseers' golden eyes. "I do not trust the lies the Old God is whispering to you."</p><p>"Myself, as well as my agents – know very well how to stay away from the corruption." Declared Wrathion in the end, then he broke away the eye-contact and resumed to explore the arsenal; without desiring to speak with the Farseer until his anger would vanish.<br/>"And the paladin?" Lorga's voice echoed behind him. The Farseer was aware that Tieria did not belong in the Blacktalon organization, and was somewhat of an outsider to them. Wrathion blinked as he thought of the templar, unable to give an answer to the shaman.</p><p>Although Tieria's knowledge in Old Gods was limited, the templar has proven capable of fighting off N'Zoth's cultists. Nonetheless, that was not enough proof to declare that Tieria did not hear The Corruptor malicious voice.</p><p>After all, she <em>was</em> a knight of the Holy Light, the nemesis of the void. N'Zoth desired nothing more but to twist a virtuous and noble soul like hers to its own inscrutable end; such was the twisted mentality of the Old Gods.</p><p>As he thought of Tieria, Wrathion's mind began hearing her voice, calling out his name. He blinked surprised and sobered into reality. The dragon realized that his mind was not playing tricks; Tieria was truly calling out for him. Her voice was heard echoing in the hallway, calling for the Black Prince without pausing.</p><p>Both Wrathion and Lorga turned their heads to the direction of the door, from where the paladin was heard.</p><p>"<em>Wrathion</em>!" Echoed Tieria's voice once again. "Wrathio- <em>woah</em>…" Tieria appeared at the entrance, she gasped upon laying her eyes on the armory. She slowly entered the room, a wave of excitement glistened in her eyes.</p><p>"This must have been the armory of the Silver Hand paladins who resided here." The templar breathed out, awed by the surroundings of the aged Silver Hand arsenal.<br/>Slightly amused by Tieria's presence as soon as she mentioned the young templar, Lorga turned to Wrathion and gave an egotistical smirk. Then without exchanging a single word to either of them, the Farseer exited the armory.</p><p>"Is everything alright?" Inquired Tieria softly, after watching Lorga leaving the chamber. Her eyebrows drew together as she gazed concerned at Wrathion.</p><p>Lorga was certainly a difficult soul to be around with; and the templar would not be surprised if Wrathion confessed he has just had a disagreeable conversation with her.<br/>However, the Black Prince reassured her with a gentle nod of his head. Then, he delivered an explanation to her, omitting to mention the unpleasant discussion he has had with Lorga:</p><p>"The Farseer aided me in opening this armory. It was sealed behind boulders."</p><p>Tieria simply nodded, her lips forming a smile while she began to analyze the room again. Gently she walked between the benches, her eyes wandering every side of the arsenal.</p><p>"You called for me?" Asked the Black Prince after coughing to get her attention.<br/>"Yes." Smiled Tieria as she combed away a couple of her hair strands. "The mage has arrived; he is currently resting in the main hall, but has asked me to inform you that he is prepared to teleport you to Stormwind whenever you desire." Reported the paladin merrily.</p><p>Wrathion glanced at Tieria, with a small smirk on the corner of his lip and a lifted eyebrow.<br/>"Why are you formulating it as if I intend on travelling to Stormwind City alone?" Grinned the dragon alluringly. The templar blinked at him, uncertain if she understood his question.</p><p>"Because… You intend on traveling to Stormwind…" Tieria explained timidly, her eyes narrowing in puzzlement. Wrathion released a light chuckle and nodded.<br/>"That is correct. However, I was certain that you would join me." Confessed the dragon, his everlastingly sly smirk decorated his lips.</p><p>"<em>Me</em>?" Tieria repeated for confirmation. "Then, who shall meet and open the entrance to the rest of your agents?"<br/>"We will not be delayed longer than a day." He reassured her, waving his hand lazily. "My agents are not expecting to arrive for another three."</p><p>Tieria's pink lips pressed tightly against one another as she was giving it a thought. The templar began debating within herself if it would be wise to disregard her post for even a short period of time, to simply journey to the great capital city of the Alliance.</p><p>But it seemed she had easily given in to her desire, as her eyes sparkled with interest.</p><p>"Very well." Assented Tieria. "Then I shall join you to Stormwind City, tomorrow." She took a playful step back as her smile remained on her lips. Her gaze shined with interest; perhaps she wanted to explore the arsenal alongside Wrathion.</p><p>However, the Black Price recalled that Tieria had another group of his agents to pick up on that particular afternoon. Hence, she was unable to linger in the aged arsenal of the order she once belonged to.<br/>The templar gave Wrathion a small nod with her head as a sign of farewell, and left the room to return to her duty, which the dragon deeply appreciated.</p><p>Wrathion blinked at the open door and took in a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair, before resuming to examine the abandoned armory – curiosity began running through his mind while his eyes searched the dusty room again.</p><p>His gaze rested upon a large wooden chest, its frame was decorated with gold, and the lock has certainly seen better days, given that it was effectively destroyed.<br/>Eager to see what laid inside, the dragon walked up to the ancient chest and knelt in front of the dusty and damaged container. As he analyzed its engraved runes around the frame, he lifted its lid with ease.</p><p>The chest had a smaller number of items than Wrathion anticipated; everything he saw inside was another cracked helmet, one gauntlet which was missing the index and thumb fingers, and what seemed to be an old tome. The thin and yet elegant cover of the book caught Wrathion's eyes.</p><p>The dragon reached out to extract it from the chest.</p><p>The tome's cover was not crafted in an ordinary leather material, instead, it had a thin layer of silver metal covering its edges and spine, the fist of the great Titanforged keeper, Tyr, was engraved in the center of the cover, in the identical material as the decorative edges.<br/>The silk bookmark which was coming out from the middle pages prompted the Black Prince to open the tome, exploring the words written upon the battered pages.</p><p>It took Wrathion only one glance at the text, to recognize what this tome entailed – it was a libram. A holy codex, used by paladins in combat, to grant an advance in their healing powers.<br/>It was an ancient relic, created since the first days of the knights of the Silver Hand order. To a non-Light user, the scripture on the pages was indecipherable, as if it was written in a different tongue. Only a templar of the Holy Light could benefit from the libram's content.</p><p>And Wrathion instantly thought of someone, who might put this libram to good use.</p><hr/><p>"<em>Caradin</em>?" Called out Eleina voice from the main chamber. Caradin, who was downstairs in the basement, working on his machinery, lifted his protective goggles which rested on his nose-bridge, and placed them on his head, while listening to Eleina calling for him once more: <em>"There is someone to see you!"</em></p><p>Confused by Eleina's statement, since the dwarf was not expecting anyone; Caradin pushed himself away from the table and immediately walked upstairs to view his unexpected guest. He groaned as he walked up the stairs, unable to understand, who desired to pester him such late in the evening.</p><p>When he reached the ground floor of his house, he only saw Eleina standing by the opened door. The woman motioned her head towards the outside, signaling that the visitor was waiting for Caradin there. The color was drained out of her face; her expression displayed light disturbance and even tint of intimidation.</p><p>A muscle in Caradin's jaw twitched upon seeing such distress painted on his fiancee's soft features. He gritted his teeth, embracing himself for what or who he was about to encounter.<br/>The dwarf swiftly walked outside, without troubling himself to put on his coat, despite winter settling in outside. His eyes widened at the sight of the being, who stood in front of him.</p><p>The visitor was a tall, muscular night elf. Through his long black hair, which rested scattered on his broad shoulders and ended close to his waist, large, demonic horns formed out.<br/>A well trim-beard enhanced his scared dark violet face, and a silk blindfold in black color, camouflaged his eyes. His well-toned torso was bare, displaying a set of dark runes tattooed starting from his shoulder and drawing down to both of his arms. His long nails were gently patting the fur of a large, fel-corrupted bat which served as his mount.</p><p>This night elf, was a demon hunter, the proper term was – Illidari. Disciples of Illidan Stormrage, who upheld a dark legacy; they embraced fel and chaotic magics — energies that have long threatened the world of Azeroth — believing them necessary to challenge the Burning Legion.</p><p>Wielding the powers of demons, they've slain, these warriors develop demonic features that incited revulsion and dread in everyone.<br/>The particular demonic kaldorei who stood in front of Caradin was a familiar sight. Nonetheless, the dwarf has not anticipated seeing the Illidari, standing in front of his own house in Hearthglen. He could not help but snap at him in an odd greeting.</p><p>"Felassan!" Cried out the dwarf while pacing swiftly towards the night elf. "What are ye doin' here? Tryin' to scare the pants out of children and civilians?!"</p><p>The Illidari smirked at the dwarf's scolding. Albeit, it was known that the Illidari tear their eyes out during the demonic ritual, they regain their vision alongside a spectral sight, which enabled them to better sense their prey.<br/>This enhanced awareness, together with their great agility and magical prowess, made demon hunters unpredictable adversaries. And even through the cloth which covered his fel-burning eyes, Felassan's sight was impeccable.</p><p>"Given your confusion to see me, can only mean you have not received your letter yet." Stated Felassan, his voice was low, with a tint of echo leaving his every word. It sounded surprisingly pleasing, since he spoke articulately and politely.</p><p>"Letter?" Repeated the dwarf, his disorientation at the situation was only growing. "What letter?"<br/>Felassan reached out to the satchel which was attached on the harness of his demonic mount, and pulled out a scroll sealed with a golden strip around it.</p><p>Caradin, as confused as he was, immediately took it, out of the night elf's hand and unrolled it to give it a read. While blinking rapidly, in a mere second, he recognized who wrote the letter according to the penmanship:</p><p>
  <em>"Felassan,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I hope you are well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I do not know what affairs are the Illidari involving themselves in this moment, given that the Burning Legion has been defeated; but I do know one thing for certain: your order (and you, in particular) are sacrificing everything you have, for the defense of this world.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I come to you with a plea, as well as a chance for you to repay your debt to me: seek me in Dustwallow Marsh, close to ruins of Theramore, when the White Lady is in her full0moon state - it will be safer to describe the details in person.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I also ask of you that you bring Caradin along; I am sending a letter to him as well. However, I cannot be certain if it will arrive to him by the time you are reading it. In Caradin's letter, I have stated that he shall expect your arrival in Hearthglen, and the two of you can travel to Kalimdor together.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I do have to express my concern that Caradin might not be in favor of joining. While I do hope that my letter will be sufficient to convince him,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I will not insist on disrespecting Caradin's desire to evade battles since the Legion's destruction. If he refuses - you must journey to Kalimdor solely.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>-Tieria A."</em>
</p><p>Caradin smacked his lips after finishing his letter; part of him was not dazzled by his friend's letter, and he was even willing to give it a thought. However, another side was feeling a large amount of guilt, since he was deciding to refuse Tieria's plea.<br/>The dwarf exhaled loudly, and while rolling back the letter, he turned to the door of his house and called aloud:</p><p>"Eleina!" He shouted, then waited until the dark-haired human popped by the door. "Be a darlin' and take Felassan's mount to the stable, would ye?"</p><p>Felassan smirked, relieved to hear that the dwarf is willing to at least consider the offering. The night elf watched as Eleina exited the house in feeble paces, her eyes were gazing up at the large bat. Her nose slightly crinkled, her mouth twitched a polite smile despite her eyes flickering with anxiety at the sight of the demonic beast.</p><p>"Of course..." Exhaled the female human. "Because that is what I am skilled at: horses, hippogryphs and… <em>Fel bats</em>…" She simpered sarcastically, but still determined to perform Caradin's request.<br/>As she approached the fel bat with caution, Felassan extended his hand to turn over the beast's reins over to her. Caradin smiled and he blew a kiss towards his beloved, while she was guiding the demonic creature to the stables, then the dwarf motioned to Felassan to enter the house.</p><p>Once inside, Caradin ordered the Illidari take a seat at the round table, while he took two large mugs from the shelf and began filling them both with ale.<br/>Caradin loudly lodged one mug in front of Felassan and took a sit across from the demon hunter. Silence was lingering between them, as Caradin took a large gulp of the ale.</p><p>"Tieria's letter is exceedingly obscure." Began Felassan; he rested one of his hands on the handle of the mug, abstaining himself from drinking the ale just yet. "Perhaps, you might have more details as to why she is in Kalimdor?"</p><p>An unexpected belch came out of the dwarf, perhaps due to the way he has downed his ale. Felassan ignored the noisy sound Caradin had just made, and quietly awaited a reply from him.</p><p>"Believe or not – I don't know." Sighed Caradin, his face contorted as he placed his empty mug on the table. "A couple of weeks ago, a black dragon attacked this area, we beat 'im off. Next thing I know, Tieria brought 'im in Hearthglen and our town got attacked by some weird adorned cultists."<br/>Felassan attentively listened to Caradin's interpretation while reaching out to his drink to take a small sip.</p><p>"Then," Continued the retired dwarf. "She left <em>with</em> that dragon, ta Kalimdor." After finishing his sentence, he sank in his chair, and took another look at Tieria's letter.<br/>"All she told me was: <em>'she found her battle'</em>." Sighed the dwarf in defeat.<br/>"Curious." Stated the night elf simply. "Knowing Tieria, she must have had a good reason to journey with a dragon."</p><p>Caradin shrugged, unable to give an explanation to Tieria's decision. He has had little interaction with the dragon, and in that short amount of time - he emerged as arrogant and rude, and of course, a possible threat - given how he has endangered the people of Hearthglen by bringing his enemies here.<br/>The dwarf could not understand Tieria's desire to aid these creatures and likely endangering her own life for their sake.</p><p>"Yer going?" Inquired Caradin, his bushy eyebrows snapped together as he attempted to untangle why Tieria was summoning the demon hunter. Felassan replied after taking another gulp of his ale:<br/>"I have a debt to repay." Confessed the demon hunter, wiping away some ale foam from the corner of his lip, with his thumb. "How about you?"</p><p>Caradin grunted, his heart unable to make a decision. The athletic warrior in his soul yearned for another battle, to feel his long-axe tightly in his hands and slash the adversaries with it. But the aged Sergeant has told himself he has reached his limits - why would one go against his own word?</p><p>"I…" Caradin bit his tongue, unable to give a reply. Felassan scoffed before the dwarf could begin to speak again.<br/>"Do not tell me, it is because of the accident, Caradin." Spat the Illidari, referring to the incident at the Tomb of Sargeras, which has caused Caradin to elect the desire to retire.</p><p>"Well, I do not have bloody wings like ye!" Snapped the dwarf, claiming that the demon hunter would have managed to survive the incident without a single scratch due to their ability to employ demonic wings out of their backs.</p><p>He gave out a loud sigh, feeling overwhelmed, by the demon hunter's sudden appearance and the unusual plea from Tieria's side. Caradin had not anticipated any of this; he simply wanted to rest by his fiancée's side on this winter evening, and work on his engineering.</p><p>The dwarf reached out to take his mug, and went to refill his drink. A silence erupted in Caradin's kitchen, while the dwarf was pouring himself another mug of ale. The stillness remained, until Caradin had a mug full of ale and resumed his seat at the table.</p><p>"Are you willing to turn your back on your friend, I take it?" Asked Felassan, his tone did not sound accusing, but pure concern and interest. "Tieria respected your decision of retiring – I was there when you declared it and I saw it in her eyes." Continued the demon hunter calmly. "I do not think she would ask for your help, unless it was truly necessary."</p><p>Caradin blinked at Felassan, his guilt only growing bigger upon hearing the night elf's words. He looked at his hazy image reflected in his golden drink, contemplating his choices. While lifting his gaze at the demon hunter, Caradin braced himself for what he was about to say:</p><p>"Look… I swore off that life." Began the dwarf melancholic. "Tieria knows that. I can imagine what sort of heartfelt letter she may have written, claimin' how dire she wants my help but…" Caradin exhaled, finding himself ashamed of even finishing his sentence.<br/>Felassan's jaw clenched but ultimately, the demon hunter gave a shrug.</p><p>"I did not come here to insist." Confessed Felassan as he let a loud sigh. "I am certain, Tieria will understand." After ending his sentence and finishing the remaining of his ale, the demon hunter rose from the chair.</p><p>Caradin's eyebrows snapped together when he saw Felassan walking towards the couch instead of the door; he assumed the demon hunter would be on his way but it seemed he was mistaken.</p><p>"What yer doing?" Interrogated the dwarf, watching Felassan's steps.<br/>"I am not leaving just yet." Replied the demon hunter. He daringly crashed his entire body on the lounge situated next to the lit fireplace before continuing:<br/>"I traveled for eight days straight from the Broken Isles. Part demon or not – demon hunters get exhausted much like anyone else. I will depart at the first light tomorrow."</p><p>Caradin watched Felassan adjusting the pillows underneath his head, while assuming a comfortable position in the lounge. He perhaps closed his eyes too; but the dwarf was uncertain, given one was unable to see beneath the demon hunter's blindfold.</p><p>Caradin has refrained himself from saying anything else; the least he could do after refusing to aid his friends was to let Felassan rest for the night in his home.<br/>Precisely in that moment, the front door opened, with Eleina entering inside. The dark-haired archer smiled tenderly at Caradin, then glanced at the demon hunter, who was lying carefree on their longue.</p><p>"Your bat won't eat my horses, will it?" Asked Eleina; she was more concerned over her animal companions rather than the night elf's presence in the room.<br/>"No." Replied the demon hunter lazily, not even lifting his head when he addressed Eleina. "She eats imps."<br/>"Well then, remind me to check the market tomorrow morning, for imps in stock." Jested the stablemaster sarcastically, which made Caradin release a light chuckle.</p><p>Eleina turned her gaze back to Caradin, her eyes glistening concerned at him. Clearly, she has caught the feeling that there was some sort of commotion within the dwarf.<br/>Caradin tore away the eye-contact from his fiancée, and rose from the chair while pushing Tieria's letter closer to the edge of the table in order to catch Eleina's attention.</p><p>As he began walking up the stairs to retire in the bedroom, Caradin saw Eleina picking up the paladin's written plea and began reading it.<br/>He silently proceeded to stroll to the upper floor, while realizing that the moment Eleina finished reading - he would have a wearying conversation.</p><hr/><p>The night time in Dustwallow Marsh was far more bearable rather than the day; hence, Tieria has formed a pattern in the past days of sitting for an hour or two on the roof of the broken tower, enjoying a smoke out of her pipe, and admiring the stars which glistened in Azeroth's sky.</p><p>The templar sat down on the cold stone floor, while her back rested against the damaged wall; it was certainly not the most comfortable environment, however, Tieria stood in worse places.<br/>As she exhaled a dark cloud of smoke, she blinked at the night sky, admiring the light-dance of the moons and the stars.</p><p>An utter sense of complete tranquility took a hold of Tieria. She rested her head against the cold stone, ignoring that the dusty wall might stain her hair, which she has freed from the usual ponytail hairdo, allowing her shoulder-length hair to scatter freely around her head.</p><p>
  <em>"Thief…"</em>
</p><p>Tieria accidentally inhaled too much smoke, causing the paladin to cough loudly. She covered her mouth with her palm as she gazed at her surroundings, doubting herself if she had heard an echo degrading her. Nothing was seen around her, there was not a single soul present on the tower aside from the templar.</p><p>She exhaled and leaned against the wall once more, unwilling to give too much thought of what had just occurred. She resumed a relaxing pose, bringing the pipe up to her lips once more.</p><p>
  <em>"Renegade…"</em>
</p><p>This time, Tieria has heard a concrete sound. Footsteps were walking up the old stairs, which alarmed the templar.</p><p>Stealthily, she began rising on her feet, preparing a light hammer in her free hand; the sound of footsteps grew louder and a tall silhouette approached her. Tieria's breathing began shortening, as the unknown being was drawing closer.<br/>Alas, with the moonlight shining upon the roof of the broken tower, Tieria gasped in both shock and relief upon recognizing the figure.</p><p>"Wrathion!" Snapped the templar upon seeing the dragon standing in front of her. "You startled me…" She confessed after releasing a heavy exhale.</p><p>"I did not mean to." Atoned the Black Prince. Tieria noticed slight concern in the dragon's crimson eyes, but she simply shrugged it off, and ignored the unpleasant presence she felt moments ago.<br/>"Is there something you wish to discuss?" Wondered Tieria out loud, given his sudden appearance outside the Ebon Rest.</p><p>The half-elf's lips curled into a smile; his eyes were fixating down on a small book he held in his gloved hands. Tieria glanced at the tome in the dragon's grasp, watching as Wrathion handed it to her.</p><p>"What is it?" Queried Tieria intrigued, while gently touching the beautiful silver fist engraved on the center of the cover. Before Wrathion could reply, the templar answered her own question: "It's a libram!"<br/>"I found it in the arsenal. Given how this is used by your kind, I thought you might be interested in it." Said Wrathion simply, his face brightening at Tieria's elation.</p><p>As Tieria flipped through the pages, scripted in holy texts, she found herself feeling delighted. Simply holding the holy tome gave her a stronger connection with the Light.</p><p>"This will come quite handy in battle and in healing." Exhaled the templar warmly, her dark-brown eyes still fixated on every turn of the page. "I used to have one of my own, but it was taken away after-" She bit her tongue and blinked at Wrathion, realizing the sentence she was formulating. Swiftly, she plastered a smile on her face and shook her head, declaring simply: "I lost it."</p><p>Wrathion's forehead creased as his brows rose, yet his enticing smile never left his lips. The dragon sensed some deceit within Tieria's explanation regarding her missing libram. Yet, he did not desire to annul Tieria's smile by interrogating her further.</p><p>Instead, he watched as the templar sealed the libram and brought it close to her chest while thanking Wrathion for his kind gesture.</p><p>"Enjoying an evening of solitude, I see." Remarked the Black Prince, who has settled to switch the subject of the conversation. Tieria's cheeks flushed lightly as she gave a nod.<br/>"Enjoying some fresh air, to be more precise." Replied Tieria shyly. "The lack of windows inside the Ebon Rest makes me yearn for it."</p><p>"Quite ironic, considering the fact that you are smoking." Remarked the dragon while pointing at the pipe in her hand. The templar gave an embarrassed smile while turning scarlet.<br/>"Perhaps, I enjoy pretending to be a dragon and breathe out smoke." She jested then inhaled from her pipe again. Wrathion chuckled while watching her exhaling a cloud of fume in his direction.<br/>"You resemble a whelp who barely hatched from its egg." Asserted the dragon humorously. Tieria gave a short glare at his light-hearted insult, her nostril flaring as she giggled.</p><p>She resumed to sit on the ground, gesturing Wrathion to take a seat next to her. He did not hesitate to join her. He took a seat down, positioning himself close to the paladin.<br/>Tieria silently continued to inhale out of her pipe, releasing clouds of smoke.</p><p>While admiring the stars, she broke the silence by pointing at the sky and saying:<br/>"Look, the Blue Child is out on the skies of Kalimdor." Said the templar warmly, her index finger directing at the bright and yet small star which was next to the moon. It shined in a pale blue color, brighter than any other stars.</p><p>Wrathion glanced at the star Tieria pointed at, but the dragon failed to perceive what was extraordinary about that one particular star, out of the entire sky.<br/>He looked at her puzzled, without saying a word. Tieria swiftly caught that the dragon required more information:</p><p>"It is Azeroth's second moon." Explained the paladin tenderly. "According to the mythology of some races, Azeroth herself sends the Blue Child away to explore the universe, hence, it can be seen only on one continent at a time. Every two months or so."</p><p>Wrathion smirked at the templar's tale, never has he heard of such a story. And in that moment, the Black Prince realized he has never seen a second moon shining in the sky of the world.<br/>Perhaps because he was far too busy to notice it, or perhaps he was never under the same sky of the continent the Blue Child was gleaming upon.</p><p>"How do you know of this?" Inquired the dragon curiously, he watched as she calmly smoked her pipe while gazing into the dark horizon of Dustwallow Marsh.<br/>Tieria answered after finishing exhaling out smoke again, a warm smile was decorating her lips:<br/>"My father taught me." She said openly. "He was fascinated by constellation studies. He had this ancient tome of celestial drawings and lore dating since the ancient Highborne; he bought it from Dalaran, before the city's destruction." Tieria giggled as nostalgia began shrouding the templar. "He slept with it under his pillow."</p><p>Speaking so fondly of her father, prompted the dragon's curiosity; pondering more of the templar's past. He slid closer to Tieria, fixing in gaze upon the delicate face of the young templar.</p><p>"Out of your entire family, I've heard you speaking only of your father, the blacksmith." Stated the Black prince. Tieria blinked, sensing that Wrathion had a small interest in knowing more about her.<br/>"There is no other family besides him." Confessed the templar. "My mother died giving birth to me. My father has had other infatuations, but he never settled down with another woman; it was just me and him." Noticing her tone fading away, the dragon asked:</p><p>"I see… And now, it's just you?"<br/>Tieria nodded, her eyes gazing down on her feet as she continued to speak:<br/>"He passed away from old age, shortly after I returned from Northrend." Spoke the paladin softly, her eyes glistened due to tears forming up. "He and my mother conceived me quite late; he was old enough to be my grandfather."</p><p>She swallowed back the tears and curved her lips into a wistful smile.<br/>"He passed away in his sleep, peacefully. With the constellation book underneath his pillow."<br/>"It is perhaps the kindest way to die in this world." Wrathion murmured, gazing once again at the Blue Child. "Few have that luck."<br/>"Yes." Smiled Tieria faintly. "I've made my peace with his passing."</p><p>As another pause shuffled itself between the dragon and the templar. Tieria glanced into Wrathion's ruby necklace she was so fond of, then her eyes lifted to gaze in his'. She could not be certain what glistened in his eyes. Whenever it was condolence, from hearing of her father's loss or simply ludicrousness, given that dragons are rarely attached to their relatives.</p><p>"Do you earn it?" Queried Tieria timidly. "For family?"</p><p>"How can one earn for something they never had?" Inquired the Black Prince rhetorically; his face hardened despite the smile remaining on the corner of his lips. "I earn to restore my flight. I am after a new legacy, worthy of the black dragonflight's original sacred charge: the defense of Azeroth."<br/>"It is a noble intention." Acknowledge the templar, while blowing out more smoke she inhaled from her pipe. "Yet even so... It must feel lonely." She continued softly, almost in a whisper. "Being the last of your kind."</p><p>Wrathion soaked in Tieria's words, attempting to untangle his feelings towards them. He hardly recalled ever feeling the sensation of loneliness; and even if he had - the dragon would be too proud to admit it to anyone, not even himself.<br/>Presumably, subconsciously, the last uncorrupted black dragon did feel desolation within his heart, knowing that he will not reproduce heirs who would uphold his reforged legacy he is so desperately trying to achieve.</p><p>"For my entire life, I have done nothing but prevent Azeroth from her doom." Replied Wrathion ominously, he blinked away from Tieria and looked into the dark distance. "Time does not allow me to feel this loneliness you claim I might have."<br/>The dragon paused to lick his lips.</p><p>"Perhaps Ebonhorn and I will attempt to build a family-bond..." His mouth set in a hard line as he sighed, unable to finish his sentence. "Even so, now it is not the time. Not with N'zoth tearing down the veil."</p><p>Tieria gave a nod in a sad agreement. She could not begin to comprehend how a soul could dwell into this world by itself, with only servants keeping him company. Especially a soul of a dragon, who can live for millennia. The thought of aging alone, without a mate or children by your side - felt heartbreaking to Tieria.</p><p>Noticing the glisten of melancholy in the templar's eyes, Wrathion released a chuckle.<br/>"Don't look at me with those sorrowful eyes, templar." Scolded the dragon lightly. Tieria blinked at him, unaware that he was looking at her. She shook her head in apology.<br/>"I am sorry! It's simply…" Her trail of thoughts slipped away from her mind, leaving the paladin to only give a shrug in reply. "No soul deserves to carry such a burden."</p><p>"We cannot decide the aspects of our lives we were granted when we were born." Stated the dragon, while looking up at the Blue Child. For a glimpse of a second, he imagined how his life would have been had he hatched as a corrupted black dragon, just like the rest of his kin. "We can only control our fate forward. Building a better future, which in my case is by defeating the Old Gods."</p><p>Tieria bit her lower lip, Wrathion's short speech has certainly not eased the compassion she felt for him.</p><p>The templar wondered how the dragons from the different flights would feel towards Wrathion and his goals. While those thoughts were running through her mind, the pipe had burnt away all the herbs and extinguished itself.<br/>As if it was a signal to end the conversation, Tieria remained silent and began to clear the pipe out of whatever remains were inside of it. She smiled at Wrathion once she saw his gaze lingering upon her.</p><p>"We will do our best to defeat N'Zoth." Promised Tieria. "Then, you can begin a new purpose in Azeroth."</p><p>The dragon smiled at her heartfelt words, although he wasn't certain he believed in them. He would remain dubious of their victory, until he knew he had an army and a weapon against N'Zoth.<br/>Noticing the dragon wasn't answering, Tieria tightened the pipe between her fingers and picked up the newly-acquired libram.</p><p>"Let us get some rest." Suggested the templar before getting up on her feet. "Tomorrow is another day." Wrathion agreed to Tieria's proposal, and rose alongside her.</p><p>They walked in silence, until they reached the sealed platform. As Tieria was about to kneel down to murmur the cast that would open the entrance, Wrathion's question interrupted her:</p><p>"You have not heard the Corruptor's whispers, have you?" Inquired the dragon. The question sounded concerned rather than accusing. "Words echoing in your mind, twisting your beliefs?"</p><p>Tieria blinked at Wrathion, trying to remember if she has gone through what the dragon has described. She has certainly thought she has seen or heard an ominous presence; but the templar always shrugged them off, believing they were mere echoes of all the battles and horrors she has gone through.</p><p>She was confident enough in herself, that she would be able to identify the difference between an Old God's corruption and mere ghosts of the past.<br/>"No." Replied the paladin simply. "I haven't heard any whispers or echoes."</p><p>Wrathion nodded, feeling somewhat at peace. He believed Tieria had no reason to lie about such a thing, or lie at all at that matter, for it was not common among the Holy warriors.<br/>The dragon watched as she gave him a smile and knelt down, to proceed to open their entrance.</p><p>
  <em>"To strive to be divine for one of our kind does not mean we strive for godhood."</em>
</p><hr/><p>Eleina gently closed the door of the bedroom behind her. The chamber was entirely dark, aside from the moonlit shining through the gaps on the drapes. And yet, the Goldshire woman caught the silhouette of Caradin sitting on the edge of their bed. She nibbled on her bottom lip while walking up to Caradin and breaking the unhealthful silence that lingered in the bedroom.</p><p>"Felassan fell asleep in a minute. Poor Jenafur has lost his favorite sleeping place because of the demon hunter." She giggled, but Caradin did not release a single sound in reply. The dwarf refused to even glance at Eleina; his head was lowered, watching his feet which were dangling in the air.</p><p>She gave out a sigh, before marching to open the drawer of the nightstand which Caradin was next to, and took out a small box of matches.<br/>In one rapid maneuver, Eleina lit a match and brought it up to the candle that stood atop the nightstand, illuminating the chamber. After throwing the box of matches back in the drawer, she took a seat next to Caradin.</p><p>"You are upset regarding Tieria's letter." Stated Eleina, neither outraged nor delighted, she was simply concerned of Caradin's state.<br/>"Yer said, when time will be right, I'll hear my heart givin' an answer to me feelings regarding me retirement." Exhaled the dwarf, still unwilling to look at his beloved. His blue eyes shined empty as he stared at the wall. "Now, I need to hear it, I need an answer and..." He scoffed and shrugged, infuriated he was unable to make a decision.</p><p>"Caradin." Addressed Eleina firmly. "Do you want to go to Kalimdor?" Caradin once again shrugged which prompted Eleina to roll her eyes. She reached out to his chin, forcing his gaze upon her.<br/>"Do not shrug. Give me an answer." Insisted Eleina, determined to receive a concrete answer from the dwarf. "Yes or no?"</p><p>Caradin's eyes were searching for an answer while looking directly into her eyes. Eventually, the dwarf gave a timid nod. Giving in to the strong desire of battle, he thought he was buried deep in his heart.</p><p>"Then go!" Exhaled Eleina, releasing him from her grip. "Nothing is stopping you!"<br/>"But I don't want to leave ye!" argued Caradin, he jumped from the bed to stand in front of his fiancé.<br/>"You are not leaving me." Replied the stablemaster, her tone gradually softening as a smile was forming at the corner of her pale lips. "I will be right here, planning our wedding."</p><p>Caradin's lower lip trembled, he took a step closer to Eleina, kneeling down in front of her and resting his hands in her lap.</p><p>"But what if I don't come back...?" The dwarf whispered, horrified by the thought. Eleina formed a full smile and began stroking his golden head.<br/>"Then I will bring you back from the dead." She said softly.</p><p>Caradin rose on his feet, walking towards the window to gaze upon the night view of Hearthglen. His heart and soul are still attempting to make the correct decision.<br/>Eleina rose from the bed as well, approaching her dwarven-lover to place her soft hands on his shoulders.</p><p>"When I met you, I met a good-hearted dwarf, who was always eager to jump into the defense of his comrades and friends." Began the black-haired woman. Her fingers softly began pressing into his muscles, massaging them. "That was the warrior I fell in love with."</p><p>Caradin shut his eyes, the tension began washing away from his body upon Eleina's touch; he attentively continued to listen to her sweet words:<br/>"I cannot make this choice, or any choice for you. But know - that I will support any of it."</p><p>He felt his heartbeat increase upon the whispers of beloved, and at long last - he heard his own heart whispering to him the answer he has waited for so long.</p><hr/><p>The next morning, Tieria woke up in the same mood as she did in the previous five days: <em>serene</em>. Ever since they have restored the Ebon Rest, the templar has repeatedly managed to get a good rest, given that she and the rest of her companions are safe underground.</p><p>Of course, there was still the matter of the world coming to an end, as an ancient entity was bringing down the veil to an alternate reality, which was inhabited by Old Gods and their minions.</p><p>Nonetheless, Tieria has learnt to push away the terrific thoughts and focus on each day separately.<br/>All she had to do today was to travel with Wrathion to Stormwind City, and plead for the Alliance to provide them their army against N'zoth's forces.</p><p>As she looked at her own reflection from the petite pocket-mirror which she carried, Tieria noticed that her face had gotten much paler. It has seemed that the lack of exposing herself to the sunlight, due to constantly being underground, has already managed to strip away the life in her ivory skin tone. And patrolling on the gryphon around the marshland was not enough, for the sun was shining weakling through the moist trees of Dustwallow Marsh.</p><p>After arranging the tiny mirror back on the desk, Tieria glanced at the libram that Wrathion has given to her the previous night.</p><p>The templar gently took the holy book in her hands, examining it once more.<br/>Gentle aura of the Light was felt around the tome, whispering softly, tranquil prayers to Tieria, who has found herself smiling upon the calming energy that the libram radiated.</p><p>Her fingers found themselves scratching the back of tome, noticing a leather pocket which would allow one to easily stash the tome around a belt; a metal button was inserted into the pocket as well, used for detaching the tome from the belt with great ease, whenever it was needed to be used.<br/>Happy of her discovery, Tieria unbuckled her large plate belt and began guiding the tome around her waist, until she could finally rest the libram next to the buckle of her belt.</p><p>She ran her fingers through her high ponytail as a final sign of preparation and exited her small resting chamber, immediately heading towards Wrathion's chamber.</p><p>As she walked through the large hallway, Tieria gazed upon the Blacktalon agents who were already fulfilling their duties: carrying barrels of beverages in the kitchen room, decorating walls with drapes, repairing the broken stone benches which were situated on the sides of the wall.</p><p>Day by day, the Ebon Rest looked more akin to a heroic garrison of a worthy order.</p><p>The templar passed by one of Lorga's earth elemental, which wandered the hall while carrying a large boulder, but there was no sight of the Farseer herself, making her question Lorga's whereabouts.</p><p>Tieria knocked on the massive doors which were situated in the middle of the hall, and waited until she got approval from the other side of the door. A male voice was heard, voicing Tieria to enter. The templar opened the door to enter Wrathion's chamber.</p><p>Inside the large room, the Black Prince was seated at the end of the table. To his right, stood Calthaire, her hands clasped behind her back and her expression grim as always.<br/>On the dragon's left side, was the human mage Tieria had met the previous day; next to the mage stood his journey-companion, the leather dressed warrior who carried the large axe.<br/>And finally, across the two Blacktalon humans, was Farseer Lorga, satisfying Tieria's wonderment of the orc's whereabouts.</p><p>Wrathion's lips formed a smirk upon seeing Tieria entering the room, then he readjusted himself in his chair as he spoke:</p><p>"Are you prepared for Stormwind City?" Asked the dragon warmly, to which the templar nodded and gave a smile.<br/>"Will anyone else be joining us?" Questioned Tieria as she looked at everyone present in the room. Wrathion shook his head, clasping his hands into one another and resting his chin atop them.</p><p>"Calthaire and Farseer Lorga will be in charge while we are away." Stated the Black Prince while motioning his head at the spoken members. "Ranulf, here, will escort us to Stormwind City through his portal." He said as he turned his eyes to the white-haired human. At the mention of his name, the mage turned to Tieria and gave a short, formal bow with his head.</p><p>"And of course, Speaker Magni agreed to meet us at Stormwind Keep." Concluded the black dragon.<br/>"Stormwind <em>Keep</em>?" Repeated Tieria upon hearing the name of the fortress where the royal family resided. "Just who exactly is this acquaintance of yours?" Urged the templar for an answer.</p><p>She recalled Wrathion describing his acquaintance holding a rather significant position among the Alliance; but hearing that he intends to journey to Stormwind Keep itself, made the templar theorize that Wrathion's acquaintance is a close advisor to the king.</p><p>"He is Anduin Llane Wrynn." Replied Wrathion openly. Tieria blinked surprised upon hearing the surname of the royal family. She certainly had not anticipated to learn that the Black Prince's contact was the king of Stormwind himself.<br/>"Very well…Let us hope, His Majesty can be convincing." Breathed Tieria, intending on asking Wrathion how precisely does the black dragon know the young king of the Alliance; when time would allow them of course.</p><p>The Black Prince chuckled and pushed himself away from the desk and stood up.</p><p>"I am positive it will be progress smoothly." Remarked the dragon confidently. His energetic attitude seemed to mildly irritate the Farseer, as every now and then, the orc rolled her eyes. Wrathion, despite noticing Lorga's reaction, has elected to ignore her glares and sighs.<br/>"What is the strategy here?" Tieria asked while waving her arms. "We simply march in the throne room and demand the Alliance's army?" She gave a small exhale and shook her head upon hearing how silly her own words sounded.</p><p>Wrathion gave her a shrug, his eyes shining, keened to Tieria's idea.</p><p>"King Anduin is a reasonable young man." Said the dragon with a grin. "The Alliance is aware that their actions, as well as the Horde's, have caused N'Zoth to break from his prison in the first place." He ran his fingers through his goatee while pursuing with his explanation: "The Alliance will not stand aside and watch their world succumb to the Corruptor - not if Anduin has a saying in it."</p><p>"If luck is on your side, you might be able to Baine Bloodhoof as well." Intervened Lorga, her arms were crossed and she looked at Tieria with her usual bitter stare. "In my last correspondence with the leaders of the Horde, it was stated that Baine will be sent as an ambassador to Stormwind City to discuss the ending of the war in the upcoming days."<br/>"If Baine Bloodhoof will be present, why not join us as well, Farseer?" Inquired Tieria, theorizing that the discussion with the tauren chieftain might have been easier with another fellow member of the Horde by their side.</p><p>Lorga scoffed at the templar naive question, and shook her dark-red head.</p><p>"Last time I was in Stormwind City – I was setting fire to its buildings." Spoke the orc grimly while narrowing her golden eyes at Tiera. "I doubt they'll hold a parade in my name if I walk through those gates. They'll chain me, at best – provided I let them; or they all die by my hand."</p><p>Tieria licked her lips and nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable at Lorga's ghastly response. Perhaps walking around Stormwind City alongside a famous hero of the Horde, so soon after the end of the war, would be an unfavorable idea.</p><p>Wrathion clicked his tongue, and clasped his hands together, gathering everyone's attention.</p><p>"If the tauren chieftain is indeed in Stormwind City, we shall plea for the Horde's aid as well." Said the dragon; once again his alluring tone echoed strongly in his large chamber. "What is important is that the leaders of Azeroth are aware of the danger N'Zoth is imposing as he emerges from the depths." Concluded Wrathion as he looked at everyone present in the room.</p><p>Then, he fixed his gaze on Tieria and spoke:<br/>"Shall we?"</p><p>The paladin smiled and gave a nod, approaching the Black Prince while he was signaling Ranulf to approach the pair. The mage, as per his master's order, walked a couple of steps in front of Wrathion and Tieria.</p><p>The Blacktalon mage shut his eyes and gripped his staff tighter in his hand while opening his free hand, channeling an arcane spell.<br/>Underneath his closed eyelids, violet light emitted and his fingertips lighted in the same shade of color.</p><p>With his eyes remaining shut, Ranulf began pacing around Wrathion and Tieria, drawing a magical circle with the end of his staff. Tieria attentively watched Ranulf's staff beaming the ray of blue magic from its end; the mage was illustrating the magical ring as an artist painting on his canvas.</p><p>The moment the Ranulf finished the circle, Wrathion and Tieria, alongside the mage himself, vanished before everyone's eyes.</p><hr/><p>In a blink of an eye, Tieria realized – she was in Stormwind City.</p><p>Surrounded by multiple tall buildings and towers, underneath a bright blue sky. Tieria realized that she was standing on a patch of grass.<br/>The templar gazed around her, she caught the sight of multiple mages and apprentice wizards, most of them humans, walking on the small streets or resting on the soft grass, sheltering themselves from the powerful sun by hiding in the shadows of the tall trees.</p><p>"We are in the Mage Quarter, my Lord." Explained Ranulf. "The Stormwind Keep is just on the other side of the city."<br/>Wrathion simply gave a nod to his mage, while combing his voluminous hair with his fingers, as Ranful's magic also brought a strong wind which disheveled the dragon's dark locks.</p><p>Tieria chewed on her lower lips, finding herself amused by Wrathion's preoccupation of keeping his mortal appearance ravishing. The dragon glanced at her, noticing her snickering expression, causing the paladin's cheeks to flush pink due to being caught giggling quietly to herself. His nose wrinkled and brows snapped together, shooting a small glare to Tieria, prompting her to wipe away the smirk off her face.</p><p>"Let us proceed to reach Stormwind Keep." Advised Wrathion, his crimson eyes fixated on the templar. "Speaker Magni might be already waiting for us. Ranulf, you may remain here. We shall not be too long."</p><p>The mage nodded at the Black Prince and saluted his master. He took a seat on the bench and took out a tome from the satchel he carried around his waist, readying himself for a time of literature while his Master would be occupied with his own task.</p><p>Wrathion began pacing down the hill, he seemed confident which direction he had to go, allowing Tieria to simply follow the dragon, as she continued to gaze upon the magnificent city.</p><p>As Wrathion and Tieria were walking through the center area of Stormwind City, the templar's eyes were absorbing everything she was witnessing: human guards dressed in grey and blue armor, with the Alliance's lion symbol tabard decorating their attire, were patrolling around each building and every narrow street; gnome and dwarf merchants were attempting to make a sale of their foreign goods; tall kaldorei citizens were roaming in-between the humans, as they were adapting to their new, unusual home, even the draenei people were visiting the capital.</p><p>It could truly be felt that Stormwind City was the heart and home of the Alliance people.</p><p>Just as Tieria was thinking to herself how different the city looked since the last time she was here, she heard Wrathion addressing to her with a question:</p><p>"Have you ever been to Stormwind City before, Tieria?" Inquired the dragon as they crossed a stone bridge which connected the Trade District to the Old Town. The templar turned her attention to the dragon, as she began reminiscing the day when the people of Azeroth achieved victory over the Lich King.</p><p>"Once." Confessed the paladin openly. "Lord Tirion Fordring has decided to attend the High King's parade after the Scourge's defeat in Icecrown Citadel. Recruits of the Argent Crusade were welcome to join; Caradin and I, alongside other of our comrades, have decided to join the celebration as well." She smiled while looking back at the particular memory.</p><p>"I do not remember much of the city itself..." Her cheeks turned pink, while the templar took a small pause. "We were so thrilled over our victory that we let ourselves buzzed within the first hour of the parade." Tieria's lips drew back in a snarl after finishing her sentence. Wrathion frowned lightly, but could not help to release a chuckle.<br/>"Mortals and their affinity for alcohol..." Mumbled the dragon while shaking his ebon head.</p><p>The pair passed through the Old Town, Stormwind City's most antique section. It was a rustic, downtrodden area, with sand-colored stones and buildings which were made out of thick, ancient wood.<br/>And after quite some time of marching through the streets of Stormwind, Tieria found herself standing at the gates of Stormwind Keep - the seat of power of the human kingdom.</p><p>As expected, - it was a massive fortress. History states that Brann Bronzebeard himself helped construct the fine building.</p><p>Its pearl stones shone brightly against the rays of the sun, emitting as if the Light itself was shining upon the castle. Marble statues of lions were situated at the entrance of the keep itself, and the statue of the late Varian Wrynn was situated in the middle of the front-yard, gazing down upon those who would walk on the royal grounds. Down from the large stone legs of the High King, an elegant fountain was built.</p><p>This was the first time Tieria has seen such an exquisite building, her eyes widened while analyzing every stone and glass built on the massive walls; her mouth was slightly open as she gazed on the magnificent architecture.</p><p>Wrathion snickered at the templar's expression, and he felt somewhat guilty to break her away from admiring the castle.<br/>"Let us make haste." Implored the Black Prince. He reached to touch her shoulder in order to gain the templar's attention. Tieria nodded, without tearing her gaze from the fortress.</p><p>Speaker Magni was spotted without any effort, given that the dwarf's diamond body shined brightly under the sun. He waved merrily at Wrathion and Tieria, watching them approach him as he stood before the entrance of the keep itself.</p><p>It seemed that the royal soldiers who stood guard by the large doors had already familiarized themselves with the Speaker; they waited alongside the diamond dwarf, for Wrathion and Tieria.</p><p>"Glad yer could make it." Greeted the Speaker. "Let us not waste time any longer, the king is expecting some news."<br/>Wrathion nodded in agreement and as per Magni's words, he has elected not to idle further in front of the entrance of the keep.</p><p>Magni began walking inside, routing towards the long hallway, the Black Prince was about to follow him but ceased as soon as he felt Tieria's hands wrapping around his arm.<br/>"Wait, Wrathion." Pleaded the templar as she stopped the dragon from entering the keep. He turned to Tieria, his crimson eyes displaying confusion.</p><p>"What am I to do, while you and Speaker Magni address the king?" She inquired, realizing that her presence inside might be quite futile, given that she had limited knowledge on the situation, and has never addressed someone of a royal status before.<br/>"I believe the Speaker and I will take the hold of the conversation." Replied Wrathion, then he gave a smirk while sizing up Tieria.<br/>"You may simply stand and flutter your delicate eyelashes at the king." Jested the dragon in an alluring smile; then he proceeded to enter in the keep, leaving Tieria unable to give a proper response, with her cheeks flushing pink at the dragon's comment.</p><p>Tieria inhaled deeply, embracing herself for whatever will occur once she's inside.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Verdict</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you all for the patience and the lovely comments I got! ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Through the deep hallway, which led to the throne room, footsteps echoed loudly within the marble chamber.</p><p>Human guards, cladded in blue and gold plate armor, stood unmoved on each side of the wall. From within their helmets, the Stormwind wardens eyed the Black Prince and his companions like a hawk.<br/>A single suspicious movement, and none of them would hesitate to impale their spears into them.</p><p>Tieria felt sweat forming on her body underneath her plate armor, as if she was standing in the hot desert of Tanaris. The templar found to be quite stunned to find herself in such a nervous state before meeting with the leader of the Alliance.</p><p>She knew little of Anduin Wrynn; only that much like her - he was following the path of the Light and that he was known as a pacifist who has only recently ascended to the throne. Word spread that during the beginning of the Fourth War, the young king of the Alliance required Sylvanas Windrunner to surrender, instead of slaying her for the atrocities she had committed upon the kaldorei and the Alliance.<br/>Nonetheless, Tieria wanted to believe that despite his desire to keep peace between all races on Azeroth, even Anduin Wrynn would consider to provide the army of the Alliance to them, in order to defeat N'Zoth and his maddening cultists.</p><p>The paladin glanced upon Wrathion, who, unlike her, did not seem to display any sign of anxiety or uneasiness. He marched proudly and confidently towards the throne room; his lips curled in his' everlastingly slight smirk.<br/>Next to the black dragon, Speaker Magni was walking quietly, as quietly as a dwarf made out of crystal could. His expression was unreadable to Tieria.</p><p>As they were reaching the end of the hall, a male voice was heard in the throne chamber. His tone had a tint of apology and bitterness:</p><p>"I am afraid there is little information, Your Majesty." Confessed the voice, speaking in a very clear Stormwindian accent, which Tieria immediately depicted. "My men cannot find any indication." A loud exhale followed, coming from another man, whose tone resonated softer.</p><p>As Wrathion and his companions finally reached the large archway entrance which connected to the throne room, Speaker Magni released a loud cough to gather everyone's attention upon the new arrivals.<br/>Every single soul present inside has directed their focus onto the crystal dwarf, the dark-skinned half-elf and the young human.</p><p>However, instead of examining those present, Tieria's eyes widened in awe at the royal chamber.<br/>Large windows were seen on every wall; strong, colorful light emitted from the dazzling windows, warming up the entire space. Each of the windows displaying a certain mosaic artwork made out of templar recognized only one of them: King Llane Wrynn, standing next to magi Medivh himself.</p><p>Much like in the hall, guards were stationed in front of every pillar; two of them stood on the first piece of stairs which led to the throne itself.</p><p>On the further steps stood Baine Bloodhoof - the young chieftain of the tauren people. He was accompanied by three other tauren.<br/>One of them, the only female tauren of the particular group, had a large set of antlers growing out of her head, decorated with feathers and wore a particular warpaint, symbolizing that she belonged to a different tribe.</p><p>In the center of the room, stood a mustached human male; with trimmed, chestnut hair, dressed in a brown and aegean-blue leather attire.</p><p>On his left side, rested a blonde female blood elf, wearing heavy makeup and revealing apparel - two green daggers were sheathed on her waist. And long, luscious golden hair emerged from the crimson hood which covered her head.<br/>And finally, upon the throne which laid in-between two golden lion statues, sat Anduin Llane Wrynn – the King of Stormwind City.</p><p>His blonde hair was kept in a ponytail hairdo. He wore a regal attire made out of royal blue coat, with a sash over his torso crafted from the same cloth, a silk, pearl-white tunic and black breeches crafted in fine fabric. His gloves and boots had the identical brown leather texture.</p><p>Tieria knew the king was quite a young ruler, but she certainly did not anticipate seeing a man who has barely come to age sitting on the throne. Despite his masculine features, the glisten in his skin and glow in his blue eyes, divulged his youthful appearance.</p><p>"Speaker Magni!" Addressed the mustached man, in a warmer tone than before. "We were expecting your arrival."</p><p>The Speaker gave a humble bow, Tieria pursued to repeat the dwarf's action. Wrathion, however, walked confidently towards the throne; he opened his arms to greet the king warmly.<br/>As the dragon walked, Tieria noticed the young king's expression frowning upon the sight of Wrathion. King Anduin swiftly rose from his throne and began approaching the Black Prince with heavy steps.</p><p>"Anduin!" Exhaled the dragon in his soothing voice. "It's been so long-" His warm greeting, however, was interrupted by Anduin's fist launching into the dragon's dark cheek.<br/>Wrathion lost his balance due to the punch, and attempted his best to remain on his feet as he wobbled for a short moment.</p><p>Subconsciously, Tieria reached her arm out to unsheathe her sword, preparing to jump to the defense of her companion; but in a snap, the templar sobered to reality, and realized against whom she was about to draw her weapon.</p><p>Slowly, she retracted her hand as she glanced around the room. Nobody reacted in any sort of way to the king's action, aside from Speaker Magni, who shook his head in disappointment and mumbled something under his breath.<br/>Tieria watched as Wrathion hissed from the minor pain and then released a small chuckle in a form on an exhale. His injured cheek temporarily revealed his black scales, but soon enough, it regenerated into his ebon elven skin.</p><p>"I suppose, I deserved that…" Confessed the black dragon while looking at the frowning king. His sentence only caused more confusion to what Tieria was witnessing.<br/>Her dark brown eyes went to the young monarch, his hands were still curled into fists and his gaze burnt with anger towards Wrathion.<br/>"You deserve more than that, Wrathion!" Gritted Anduin Wrynn between his teeth, taking an angry step forward to the dragon. "My father is <em>dead</em>, because of you!"</p><p>Tieria's eyes widened, unable to understand the king's accusations. To her knowledge - Varian Wrynn died on the Broken Shore, at the dawn of the Burning Legion's third invasion upon Azeroth.</p><p>The High King of the Alliance met his tragic end at the hand of the demons, alongside Highlord Tirion Fordring and other heroes of Azeroth.<br/>To hear the son of Varian blaming Wrathion for his father's death befuddled the templar; she was certain that dragons had aided the denizens of Azeroth against the Burning Legion, albeit it was much more later, after the assault of the Broken Shore occured.</p><p>Speaker Magni released a loud sigh and took a step between Wrathion and Anduin, as he addressed to the king:<br/>"Lad…" Beganthe diamond dwarf softly and gestured his head to the Black Prince. "He is here ta help."<br/>Wrathion's lips curled once again in a small smirk at Magni's intervention. The dragon seemed hardly bothered by Anduin's attitude towards him.</p><p>"Help?" Repeated the king in disbelief, his eyes softened at Magni but his eyebrows remained snapped together and his voice was cold. "Help from <em>him</em>? He has done enough." Declared Anduin, and resumed to take a seat on his throne. He sighed in frustration as he sank into his regal seat.<br/>Tieria glanced at Wrathion, he swiftly made eye-contact with her, but then fixated his attention to the young king once more. Magni took a step forward, pursuing to convince the Alliance leader:</p><p>"I know yer cannot ignore what we're about ta' face." Continued the diamond king with his persuasion.<br/>Anduin took in a deep breath and settled his elbow on the armrest of the throne, allowing his head to rest on his hand as he listened to the Speaker:<br/>"Everythin' that happened with Azshara… was just the beginning."</p><p>"N'zoth is surfacing from the depths as we speak, Anduin." Added Wrathion, the moment the dragon opened his mouth, Anduin shot him another glare. "<em>My</em> father… Is dead because of Him and His ki:. The Old Gods."<br/>"We know N'Zoth is out there, Magni." Replied the king, effectively ignoring Wrathion's presence. Anduin gave a weak sigh as he shook his head then he gestured at the mustached man. "Our spies have failed to locate him."<br/>"<em>That</em> is why <em>we</em> are here." Decreed Wrathion egotistically.</p><p>A long silence befallen in the throne room, as Anduin was exhaustingly rubbing his temple. He blinked at Wrathion and Magni, who stood in front of him, then his eyes fell on Tieria. Taken by surprise by the king's sudden gaze, Tieria broke away from the eye-contact and looked at the ground.</p><p>The young king then analyzed everyone else who was present in the royal chamber, as if he was hoping to find an answer within their gaze. Yet, everyone remained silent, waiting for the monarch to make a decision.<br/>Nonetheless, there was little to debate. The battle between Queen Azshara and the forces of the Alliance and the Horde, have done more damage than good.</p><p>By freeing the Corruptor, Azeroth was in grave danger; and the world was already suffering from the wound the Dark Titan had left upon it, it could not suffer even more.<br/>Anduin Wrynn had to do whatever was in his power as a king to ensure N'Zoth would not add to Azeroth's damage, even if it meant allying himself with those who have caused him harm.</p><p>He bit his lower lip, giving one final look around the chamber. His gaze lingered at Tieria, perhaps wondering of her origins, as she was the only person present in the throne, he was not acquainted with.<br/>Then, Anduin released a loud sigh in determination and rose from his throne.</p><p>"Very well." Said the king confidently, the tone in his voice was calmer than before. "Tell us everything you know." With that, Anduin began walking towards the left exit of the throne room, heading to the royal gardens.<br/>Wrathion grinned at Anduin's decision, and looked at Tieria with pride in his eyes. The paladin was still unable to explain to herself everything that had occurred; but as she watched Magni and Wrathion follow the king, she had no choice but to follow along and inquire her questions later.</p><hr/><p>Wrathion was walking a couple of steps behind King Anduin. Speaker Magni was by the dragon's side, leaving Tieria, alongside Baine Bloodhoof and the mustached man, walking behind everyone else. Neither of them breathed a single word to each other - not even a brief introduction.</p><p>"Before her ultimate defeat, Queen Azshara has succeeded in breaking N'Zoth's prison which laid in the depths of the ocean. Although, He is weak from being imprisoned for more than a millennium – He is recovering his strength at a great speed – and already has his servants tainting our lands." Explained the Black Prince grimly.</p><p>The group walked from the royal garden towards a long balcony, where a view of a beautiful lake could be seen. The bright sun was shining its clear waters between the voluminous green trees.<br/>Tieria found herself enraptured by the view; her feet began moving on their own, and she was paying little attention to the conversation.</p><p>King Anduin listened attentively, his expression remaining dry; it was distinctly visible that Wrathion's words were only aggravating his foul mood.</p><p>"His cultists are already attackin' some settlements." Added Speaker Magni. "The lands of Uldum have suffered the worst so far."<br/>"Why Uldum?" Inquired Anduin, his brows knitted together; his eyes were gazing at the view in front of him as he walked until the end of the balcony to gaze at the center of the city, where the large cathedral was clearly visible.</p><p>"N'Zoth is tearing down the veil between the Black Empire and Azeroth." Explained Wrathion while stroking his goatee. "We believe that He first intends on destroying the Titan forges."<br/>"The Titan forges?" Repeated the mustached man, causing everyone to direct their attention to him.</p><p>"Twin forges which hold the essence that creates sentient life on Azeroth as we know of it." Intervened Baine Bloodhoof; his voice was deep but warm, much like any other tauren Tieria has encountered.<br/>The human male's eyes widened at what he had just learned, realizing the damage N'zoth was intending to accomplish, made his brows furrowed together in anger and shock.<br/>"Then we need to bolster our armies and charge into N'Zoth's domain as soon as we learn of his location." Replied the mustached human, to which Wrathion gave a chuckle and shook his ebon head.</p><p>"That would be <em>utterly</em> useless." Asserted the dragon. Noticing Anduin's glare at him, the Black Prince turned his head fully towards the young king, and reached out to the monarch's temple:<br/>"N'Zoth will strike <em>here</em>." Instinctively, Anduin pulled away from Wrathion, unwilling to be touched by the dragon, as he pursued to explain: "He will manipulate emotions. Get people to act in ways contrary to their nature."</p><p>"Then what do you propose we do?" Asked the young king antagonistically. Wrathion continued; ignoring Anduin's bitter attitude as gave him a small smile:<br/>"Your armies will push back N'Zoth's forces. Slay his minions and defend the forges."</p><p>The Black Prince explained as his gaze was locked towards Anduin and Baine Bloodhoof.<br/>Then his eyes rested on Tieria; gently he reached out to her and caressed her chin with his index finger in a teasing manner.</p><p>"While <em>we</em> charge into the Old God's realm, Ny'alotha." Breathed out the dragon, peering into the templar's eyes.</p><p>Tieria's cheeks flushed pink at Wrathion's sudden touch, especially in the presence of everyone. Nonetheless, she remained silent, unable to find the correct words to speak.<br/>Anduin's gaze was fixated on Wrathion and Tieria. He lifted an eyebrow, attempting to theorize the exact relationship between the dragon and the human.</p><p>"Aye." Intervened Speaker Magni while nodded with certainty. "Wrathion is gatherin' an elected number o' champions who will be able ta face the Old God. All we ask of ye, my boy, is ta' help 'em carve a path ta' get to N'Zoth."<br/>"Very well." Nodded King Anduin after a long pause. "Shaw," Addressed Anduin to the mustached man. "Summon Kathanna from Boralus at once. I will need her to gather our forces." The mustached man nodded, and bowed to his king.</p><p>Then, the young Wrynn turned to the Bloodhoof chieftain:<br/>"Baine, let us proceed to the war-room, together we can analyze how to evenly dispatch both of our armies."<br/>"Agreed." Replied the bull in a heavy voice, his nostrils flaring loudly.<br/>"I'll pinpoint the correct locations." Added Speaker Magni, looking up to Anduin. The king smiled warmly at the diamond dwarf and gave a nod in gratitude.</p><p>Afterwards, Anduin turned to Wrathion, his blue eyes suddenly went cold upon gazing at the dragon. Wrathion, however, did not seem to be too upset over the king's hostile stares; his lips remained curled into a smug smile.</p><p>It was obvious that the Black Prince intended on attending the small meeting as well, and it was more obvious that Anduin had to accept Wrathion's presence in it. The young king seemed unwilling to let go of whatever it was that was causing the loathe for the black dragon.</p><p>Anduin, did not say a single word. Together with Magni and Baine, he began walking away from the balcony to return to the throne room. Wrathion remained behind, alongside with Tieria, who could not help but stare intensely at the dragon, while untangling all of the events that have just occurred.<br/>In the end, she managed to toss everything aside to focus on one particular question which was bothering the templar the most:</p><p>"What was that?" Inquired Tieria coldly as she crossed her arms.<br/>"What was what, to be exact?" Interrogated Wrathion, one of his brows rising in curiosity. Tieria's eyes narrowed at him; undoubtedly, the dragon was acting as if everything with the king of Stormwind had occurred smoothly.</p><p>"That… '<em>Greeting</em>' in the throne room?" She explained herself. "Why is the Alliance king accusing you of the death of his predecessor?"<br/>"Anduin is obviously devastated for the loss of his father." Began the dragon with a heavy sigh following afterwards. "He and I were close friends once, and perhaps my absence during the Burning Legion invasion is twisting his heart into putting the blame unto me. He is young, and frankly, quite expressional with his emotions. He simply needs to blame someone for the great tragedy."</p><p>Tieria's eyebrows knitted together at the dragon's explanation. If anything, that reply has raised more questions than answers.</p><p>"Where were you, during the Legion's assault?" Asked Tieria in a cool tone as her face grimaced. Wrathion licked his lips and released a light chuckle.<br/>"I was far ahead of you in searching for the Dragon Isle." Replied the black dragon. Tieria opened her mouth for a followed-up question, but the Black Prince swiftly cut off the young paladin from speaking by adding:<br/>"Do not worry. I have my number of slayed demons."</p><p>"That… Does not sound like a justification for his Majesty's actions." Stated Tieria after a pause. Wrathion, however, gave a lazy shrug.<br/>"Perhaps, a particular echo is causing him to act unlike his true self…" Murmured the dragon. Tieria widened her eyes; she blinked at Wrathion, baffled at his response and notion.</p><p>"You <em>cannot</em> possibly suspect that King Anduin is acting under N'zoth's influence." She argued in a hushed tone.<br/>"Dear templar," Cackled Wrathion emptily. "Don't you see? His plan has already begun."</p><p>Tieria stood silent, absorbing Wrathion's words. She found herself unable to give any sort of proper response. There was a glimpse of fear in her eyes.<br/>The Old God has not even made a physical appearance in this world, and He already might have the leaders of Azeroth under his paw. Day by day, the situation grew more dire and brought more and more dread into Tieria's heart; no matter how brave she wanted to act.</p><p>Seeing that the templar was not giving any sort of response to what he has just said, Wrathion spoke again:<br/>"Now, let us not keep everyone waiting. Let's join the rest in the war-room."</p><p>Despite feeling distressed by the thought of N'Zoth's manipulation being at their doorstep, Tieria let out a sigh and nodded at the dragon.<br/>They could indeed not have their allies waiting for them.</p><p>"Lead the way." Murmured the templar in defeat.</p><hr/><p>Eleina opened her eyes as the soft rays of sunshine, which managed to break through the gasp in-between the curtains, were shining upon her pale face. She groaned lightly as she felt her mind and muscles waking up after a long slumber.<br/>She blinked while looking at the wooden ceiling then she turned to find Caradin out of the bed, standing before a bag which rested on the bed next to her. The dwarf was folding a tunic lazily and pressed it inside the fabric container.</p><p>"I've made a choice." Stated Caradin without any good morning greetings whatsoever. Eleina, still half-asleep, smiled at Caradin and gave him a nod. He lifted to gaze at her, his blue eyes shined with determination.</p><p>They have spoken until late night of Caradin's past and fears. And how in the end, no matter what choice he would make - both Eleina and Tieria would be supportive to the beloved dwarf.<br/>Although fear did strike in Eleina, for she did not desire to watch her fiancée run into a dangerous battle - she knew well that she could not keep him away from his duties as a warrior of the Argent Crusade.</p><p>"I am happy that you did." Whispered Eleina while still waking up.</p><p>She silently watched Caradin collecting items necessary for his journey to Kalimdor: spare clothes, certain tools and gadgets for his engineering, bandages and anything essential he could fit in his satchel.<br/>He packed swiftly, for Felassan claimed he intended to leave at first light. In the meantime, Eleina and Caradin exchanged little words; neither of them were ever good at farewells.</p><p>As the stablemaster gazed upon the dwarf put on his plate armor which was decorated with grey bear fur and attached his long axe to his back, she called out for him:<br/>"Caradin." Breathed out Eleina warmly, while rising from the bed with haste.</p><p>She reached out to her right hand and pulled away her golden band with a green gem in it. "Give it back to me when you come back." She pleaded softly while extending her ring to him.</p><p>Sadness clouded the dwarf's features as he looked upon Eleina's engagement band, which he had given to her after Azeroth was declared freed from the Burning Legion's invasion.<br/>He recalled Tieria insisting on traveling to Exodar to purchase an engagement ring from the draenei, as they are one of the best jewelcrafters in the world.</p><p>His templar friend was insisting Eleina deserved the best and most expensive piece of jewelry on Azeroth, and while Caradin agreed to that statement, he could not wait another journey to propose to her.<br/>The dwarf also suspected that Tieria was insisting on journeying to Azuremyst Isle to purchase a few jewelry for herself; the lass was well-known for having a monumental love for shining accessories and decorative gems.</p><p>As he gently held Eleina's ring between his two fingers, a tear slipped from him, streaming down his cheek. He pulled Eleina for an embrace, burying his face into her abdomen.<br/>"I love ye." He muffled between her night-tunic. Eleina released a giggle and began stroking his golden hair as she whispered:<br/>"I love you too."</p><p>After minutes of strong embrace, they sealed their farewell with a kiss. Then, Caradin picked up his backpack and told Eleina to go back to bed while readying himself to tell Felassan he intends on traveling with him.</p><p>As he walked downstairs, Caradin could not help but notice that not a single soul was present on the ground floor aside from Tieria's cat, Jenafur. The feline was sitting on the longue where Felassan slept during the night, but there was no sign of the demon hunter himself.<br/>Instinctively the dwarf looked out the window. Through the glass, Caradin saw the sun-rays barely drawing themselves into the sky, which meant the first light had just begun its ascension.</p><p>The moment he blinked, a large shadow flew over Caradin's view. It took the dwarf one second to realize that the shadow was in fact the silhouette of Felassan's demonic bat flying into the sky. The dwarf released a loud shout and burst out of the door.<br/>He yelled Felassan's name over and over as he ran towards the kaldorei's mount but sadly, the demon hunter was unable to hear Caradin's plea to cease.</p><p>Caradin, however, was not about to let Felassan leave without him. With his entire strength, the dwarf leaped as high as he could and managed to grab himself and wrap his arms around the bat's scaled leg. His heavy armor, backpack and large weapon brought enough weight upon the beast, as it screeched in discomfort upon the sudden intruder. Nonetheless, the bat pursued to fly higher into the sky.<br/>Felassan was unable to ignore what had just occurred. He may have failed to hear the dwarf, but the kaldorei certainly noticed his bat becoming agitated and being pulled down. The Illidari gazed down to witness what was causing the commotion.</p><p>As soon as he noticed Caradin dangling on the leg of the bat, he opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately interrupted by the dwarf:<br/>"Get me up there!" Yelled the warrior. Obviously distressed by the position he was in.<br/>"What has changed your mind?" Laughed Felassan, while still holding the mount's reins in both of his hands and making no effort to aid his friend.</p><p>"It does not matter if I will get squashed into a pancake in any second now!" Complained Caradin loudly, his legs constantly dangling in every direction in panic.<br/>"This brings back memories, doesn't it, Caradin?" Continued to tease Felassan. Caradin began yelling, realizing he was indeed reliving his trauma of flying underneath a demonic bat at a high distance. Only this time, he had a good grip instead of being shackled in the beast's claws. Nonetheless, it did not improve his current experience.</p><p>"Help me before I rip yer stupid eggplant looking ears!" Ordered the dwarf angrily. The Illidari released another loud laugh and finally aided Caradin to climb on the back of his bat by pulling him by his satchel.<br/>Caradin attempted his best to regain his breath as soon as he found his bottom sitting on a saddle; furiously he was wiping away his sweat while looking down as the bat flew above Hearthglen.</p><p>"Make yourself comfortable. It's quite a flight to Kalimdor." Said Felassan, laughter was still detected in his tone. Caradin groaned loudly.<br/>"Yer think we can get some breakfast first?" Inquired the dwarf while still desperately trying to regain his breath. It seemed he was out of shape more than he had anticipated.<br/>"Very well. In exchange, you tell me what caused you to suddenly toss your trauma aside and join." Smirked Felassan, his head still directed forward. Caradin released a loud exhale in defeat:<br/>"<em>Fine</em>."</p><hr/><p>After the meeting, there were still some lingering discussions between the participants. Baine Bloodhoof, alongside the mustached man who, Tieria has learnt the name was, Mathias Shaw and was leader of Stormwind intelligence service, SI:7, were pursuing to ask as many questions as possible to Wrathion and Speaker Magni, to learn everything regarding their ancient, upcoming foe.</p><p>At some point, Tieria found herself in need of fresh air. And given that she was not contributing to the meeting, the templar has left the room after signaling to Wrathion that she will be waiting for them outside.</p><p>She paced through the royal gardens and afterwards, she found herself standing at the entrance of the keep once more, gazing upon the large statue of the late Varian Wrynn.<br/>He held his famous sword, Shalamayne, tightly in his hands while staring grimly upon those who entered through the royal gates.</p><p>Tieria has never met personally the late-king, but she has only caught a glimpse of him, years ago on the grounds of Argent Tournament. His image has imprinted in Tieria's mind, for it was the first time the young templar has ever set her eyes upon someone of a royal title from a different human kingdom.<br/>There was little she could say about Varian Wrynn character, but she was certain of one thing:</p><p>The statue did not do him justice, Varian Wrynn was far more handsome in life. Or at least, he was.</p><p>"I believe we haven't properly been introduced." Came a soft male voice from Tieria's right; she turned to find King Anduin Wrynn standing next to her. He had a faint smile on his chapped lips, his bright blue eyes shined with curiosity upon Tieria.<br/>"N-no…" Blabbered the templar, taken by surprise by the king's sudden appearance. Tieria wondered why he did not remain at the postliminary-meeting, but she did not dare to inquire.<br/>"Tieria Adriel, templar of the Argent Crusade, at your service." She said as she gave a small bow.</p><p>"It is honorable to meet someone else who walks the path of the Light." Exhaled the young king warmly. Something in his soothing voice caused Tieria's cheeks to turn pink, and the feeling of shyness embraced her in the presence of his Highness.<br/>"The honor is mine, Your Majesty." Replied Tieria with a timid smile on the corner of her lips. "I've heard much."</p><p>"I apologize for my earlier actions..." Began Anduin while frowning lightly. "I have probably made an unlikable first impression." Tieria's eyes widened at the king's humbly apology; the templar had not anticipated any sort of apology from a royalty. She shook her head politely and gave a small smile.<br/>"Your Highness must have had a good reason for... <em>Clouting</em> Wrathion." Exhaled Tieria, she pressed her lips firmly against each other, sealing away her temptation to press details regarding King Anduin's opinion of the Black Prince. While Tieria was fighting away her curiosity, the golden-haired king spoke:</p><p>"If I may inquire," Implored the young Wrynn. "How does a paladin affiliate herself with Speaker Magni and Wrathion?"<br/>"It is... Quite an odd story. Truly, I do not wish to bore Your Highness with its details." Replied the templar shyly. The king simply released a soft chuckle in reply, making Tieria's cheeks flush pink once more at his handsome smile.</p><p>"In these times I would listen to any story; with as much detail as possible." Sighed softly Anduin.<br/>"Even kings want to get away from reality sometimes, don't they?" Sympathized Tieria, unwilling to even imagine the endless responsibilities and tension a leader must have.<br/>"<em>Especially</em> kings." Remarked the son of Wrynn.</p><p>Tieria found herself nodding along to his sentence while gazing down at the shining water of the fountain. She reserved herself from acting as her ordinary self, for the templar had doubts what words or gestures would be appropriate.<br/>King Anduin may be younger than her, and although he was not even her king, she still attempted to behave as politely and respectful as possible towards someone of a high title. Such was the way she was raised and trained.</p><p>From afar, a sudden echo of ringing bells throughout the entire colossal city which was Stormwind, was heard. Tieria turned her head towards the direction of the Cathedral, where the sound came from. Her eyes lingered upon the tall, white building which was bathing in the sunlight.</p><p>"The Cathedral of Light…" Mumbled Tieria; then she turned back to the young king. "That is the building where Prince Arthas Menethil became a paladin of the Silver Hand, isn't it?"<br/>Anduin's eyes widened at Tieria's sudden mention of the most powerful and evil beings Azeroth would ever know. It was certainly an odd question to ask spontaneously.<br/>"So, history says." Replied the young monarch with a light shrug. "Curious that you mention this. Have you by any chance known the Prince?"</p><p>Tieria released an empty giggle, resuming to gaze upon the holy building which was the Cathedral.<br/>"I hail from Lordaeron; and I did not live that far from the capital itself." She said melancholically. "There is this one particular memory in my youth… Of Prince Arthas, journeying to Stormwind City. He traveled through our village. Everybody had to clear the main road for His Highness. I remember climbing on a tree to have a better view of the Prince and his royal escort."</p><p>Oddly enough, a warm smile formed on Tieria's lips as she continued to describe the late memory:<br/>"His armor glistened in that bright summer sun… His soldiers looked as if they were taken from a painting and the Prince himself…" She blinked and looked at Anduin while trying to find an appropriate way to describe what she felt that day. "I remember being <em>proud</em> that he was the Prince of my homeland."</p><p>King Anduin gave her a small smile, he felt delighted and simultaneously saddened by what Tieria has just told.<br/>As if she sobered to reality after being pulled in the realm of daydreaming, Tieria's eyes widened in embarrassment.</p><p>"I-I apologize, Your Highness!" Exclaimed the templar. "It was inappropriate of me to speak of-"<br/>"No. There is no need for an apology." Chuckled Anduin lightly. "It was quite fascinating to hear. It makes one realize that behind every being, no matter how evil… Once prevailed a noble soul."<br/>"Indeed." Nodded Tieria. Once again, she found herself turning to look at the Cathedral. Odd how that particular holy building has her associate with one simple, unimportant memory from her past.</p><p>"Well then, now that everything is in order." Came Wrathion's voice from behind her. Tieria found the dragon approaching her, followed by Speaker Magni and Mathias Shaw.<br/>"We shall take our leave." Declared the Black Prince.</p><p>Tieria nodded in agreement; it was in that moment that she realized that their first task had been a success. They had the support and the army of the Alliance and the Horde in the battle against the Corruptor.<br/>As much as the paladin did not desire to appeal to the factions, she could not help but feel relief and even slightly hopeful.</p><p>"Anduin, it was nice seeing you again." Smiled the black dragon. As before, the young king's face turned cold again at the sight of him. He clasped his hand behind his back and gave Wrathion a polite nod.<br/>Wrathion ignored Anduin's hostile attitude and motion for Tieria to follow him.<br/>"It was an honor to meet you, Your Highness." Bowed Tieria as it was customary. "May the Light guide you."</p><p>After the modest farewell, Wrathion and Tieria did not linger another second in Stormwind Keep. They have reunited with Blacktalon mage Ranulf, and immediately returned to Ebon Rest.</p><hr/><p>Farseer Lorga found herself examining the armory once again. She has decided to bring the armory back in order.<br/>The shaman began by separating weapons and pieces of armor which were in valuable shape, from those which were beyond repair.</p><p>Her feet, dressed in thin sandals, were covered in dust within the first two minutes that she had been walking around the armory; and by picking up all the dirty aged artillery, her hands were just as dirty.<br/>She picked up a silver dagger which laid on the floor, after swiftly examining it – the Farseer tossed the dagger into the heavy chest on her left, which held the salvageable weapons. The gauntlet with missing index and thumb, which was next to the dagger, was thrown into a wooden crate.</p><p>The orc continued to take a couple of steps forward while watching the gauntlet flying into the crate, which caused her to hit her foot against a shield which laid further on the floor. Lorga immediately glanced down when she heard the sound of steel hitting against the tip of her toes. Once again, she leaned down to pick it up, analyzing the oval-shaped; the large piece of metal had the Lordaeron crest, made out of gold, imprinted in the center of it.</p><p>Odd, how by simply glancing at the symbol of the perished kingdom was bringing so many memories to Lorga. Ages have passed since then - and yet - that crest was able to make the orc's blood boiling in rage.</p><p>The one-time Lorga's soul was broken, her will tormented, her mind at loss… All because of the actions the Lordaeron kingdom has taken against her people.</p><p>She remembers that particular day profoundly clear, even after so many years.<br/>The young orc - a hot-headed, proud Warsong warrior - alongside her older brother Ro'kash, have gotten separated from their sister and other Warsong members, in the aftermath of the Second War; when the Alliance of Lordaeron have become victorious.</p><p>Foolishly enough, Lorga and Ro'kash have gotten captured by humans. The coward pink-skins have attacked them while Ro'kash was injured, and was only able to walk only if he would rely on his sister carrying him.<br/>In the internment camp, Lorga has witnessed many of her brethren suffer in captivity. The lethargy her people suffered from, was a consequence of the racial withdrawal from the volatile warlock magic that had made them fearsome, bloodlusted warriors, after the orcs chose to drink the demonic blood of the Pit Lord Mannoroth.</p><p>As their lethargy increased, the orcs became even more apathetic and resigned to their fates. Including Lorga and Ro'kash.<br/>However, Ro'kash was suffering far worse than his younger sister, and his physical injuries from the battle only added to his torment.</p><p>Lorga recalls swallowing her anger and pride away to beg the human guards to give any treatment to her brother. But the Lordaeron wardens did not even flinch, nor did they leave Lorga alone to her suffering.<br/>They took her aside, injuring her with their heavy armored fists until she was as crippled as her brother; they pulled her by her long, beautiful velvet locks and slashed them, then they shackled her ankles with hot iron.</p><p>Not only was her skin forever tainted by the demonic bargain her people have taken, now her feet would eternally be branded to remind her that she was once a broken Lordaeron prisoner.</p><p>Ro'kash did not live to witness Thrall and Grommash Hellscream free their people; for her brother eventually passed away from his infected wounds. And Lorga, alongside other prisoners, dug his grave with their own hands; all that time she cried for being too weak to even avenge her late brother.</p><p>Watching that imprinted sigil on the shield, burnt her once shackled ankles. So many years. So much has happened since then. But Lorga was never the one to forgive and forget.<br/>Despite it being in a good condition, Lorga tossed it on anger into the wall with her entire strength, hoping it would break into pieces.</p><p>She readied a lighting spell, calling for thunder to strike down the defenseless artifact but her attention was redirected to the large opened door of the armory, which connected the hall, when she heard the loud whistle the spell of a mage would blow.</p><p>The shaman's long ears twitched upon the sound of magic coming from depths of the hallway.</p><p>She took a step back, and relaxed her body. Then she began to listen to the voices which were echoing from the main hall. The Farseer swiftly recognized the dragon's voice. She could not make out the precise words the Black Prince was speaking, but his tone sounded pompous and proud as always. Which prompted the shaman to assume that his journey to Stormwind City has been successful.<br/>As she continued to attempt to listen to what was occurring in the main hall, Lorga abandoned the armory upon hearing her title '<em>Farseer</em>' leaving the dragon's lips.</p><p>In the main hall, Lorga found the human mage standing in the center, with Wrathion and Tieria standing slightly behind him. The dragon gave the Farseer a smile as a greeting.</p><p>"Farseer, I was just wondering about your whereabouts." Stated Wrathion. Lorga clenched her jaw, finding herself again slightly irritated at the dragon's ever-cocky mood.<br/>"I am bringing the armory in order." Explained Lorga simply. "Well? Do we have our armies?"<br/>"We certainly do." Replied the Black Prince proudly as he ran his finger through his curly locks. The Farseer nodded as an answer, satisfied to hear that their journey has been successful.</p><p>"Welcome back, Master." Greeted Calthaire who has just entered the main hallway as well, with two Blacktalon kaldorei agents behind her.<br/>"I trust everything has gone smooth under yours and the Farseer leadership?" Inquired the dragon as soon as the night elf stopped in front of him. The ever-grim looking kaldorei nodded at his master, while swiftly eyeing Lorga.<br/>"You weren't gone for too long for something to occur." Added the Farseer while crossing her muscled arms. "Everyone has been busy with clearing the other unoccupied chambers."</p><p>"Precisely." Nodded Calthaire without any emotion in her tone.<br/>"Well then, let us not simply waddle here." Chuckled Wrathion. "Everyone, resume your duties!"</p><p>As all of the Blacktalon agents, who were present in the main hall, scattered throughout the sanctuary, Lorga left for the armory once again. Only Calthaire stood unmoved, her gaze turned from the Black Prince to Tieria.</p><p>"You have a pick up today." Informed the night elf, she rested her gloved hands on her hips as she continued to speak. "Initially Teagan was supposed to arrive two days after the full moon but there has been a change of plans and he has to arrive today by sunset."<br/>"Wait-" Tieria blabbered while blinking rapidly at Calthaire. "<em>Tonight</em> is the full moon?"</p><p>Calthaire's long, jade brows snapped together, slightly dazed at Tieria's question.<br/>"Yes." Replied the night elf simply.</p><p>Tieria opened her mouth but no words came out. She directed her eyes from Calthaire to Wrathion, her mouth still hanging open.<br/>"Wrathion…" Began Tieria both timidly and in a melodic tone. "I may have forgotten to inform you of something..." She mumbled while stretching out nearly every vowel from the words she spoke.</p><p>The dragon raised an eyebrow, taken by surprise by the templar's confession. He gestured with his head for Tieria to follow him back in his chamber. The templar obediently followed the Black Prince, promising to Calthaire that she'll return soon to discuss the<em> 'picking up the Blacktalon agent situation'.</em></p><p>As soon as they were inside Wrathion's private quarters, the dragon lit the large fireplace with a wave of his hands. Then he proceeded to remove his long black coat, exposing his breeches and thin tunic from underneath.<br/>Soon enough, the Black Prince took a seat in the garnet armchair while waiting for Tieria's explanation.</p><p>The templar reached out to her ponytail as she felt it coming loose. Instead of attempting to rearrange her hairdo, she snapped away the azure hair-clip, letting her hair rest freely.</p><p>"I took the liberty of reaching out to some... Allies, who I believe are fit to fight this us in Nya-." She paused, unable to remember the correct pronunciation of the realm in which the Old God lingered.</p><p>"Ny'alotha." Aided Wrathion while sinking into the armchair and pinning his elbow on the armrest to fix his head on his fist.<br/>"Ny'alotha." Repeated Tieria as she memorized every syllable of the word she had just pronounced. She ran her fingers through her hair as she said: "I trust them both with my life."</p><p>"I see." Exhaled the dragon. Relieved to hear that the paladin's news was not in fact, a horrific revelation.<br/>In fact, it was quite a favorable disclosure.<br/>"I feel obligated to ask who they are." Elaborated the dragon while crossing his legs, and making himself comfortable in his seat with every minute passing.<br/>"Well…" Tieria released a small cackle. "One of them is Caradin."</p><p>Wrathion rolled his eyes, and released a small sigh in irritation.<br/>"Of course, the dwarf." Mumbled the dragon, while recalling his first confrontation with Tieria; at that time she was accompanied by three other Argent Crusade soldiers, who saw the black dragon as a threat. And Caradin was the one leading the small group, he has ordered for Wrathion to be put down by shooting a ballista and injuring the dragon.</p><p>"While I know you and Caradin haven't gotten on best terms… Given that he shot you." Reiterated Tieria stiffly. "Caradin is a sergeant of the Argent Crusade branch in both Eastern and Western Plaguelands. He is a gifted tactician and he is a skilled engineer. Many of his creations might aid us."<br/>"I would be a fool to turn down aid." Stated Wrathion, despite his contorted expression. "And who is the second person?"</p><p>"He is… More of an acquaintance who owes me a favor." Sputtered Tieria, while scratching her chin. After a small pause, she mentioned a name Wrathion has not anticipated to hear. "An Illidari."</p><p>The Black Prince's eyes widened. The Illidari were an elite faction serving the demon hunter Illidan Stormrage. Who was a legend, in his own way.<br/>Many of the Illidari were imprisoned for at least a decade, and only recently resurfaced to fight against the Burning Legion's third invasion.<br/>It was quite surprising to hear that one has a debt waiting to be repaid by a demon hunter. The Illidari were allies of Azeroth - to an extent, but they have always preferred to fight their battles in solitude.</p><p>"An <em>Illidari</em>?" Repeat Wrathion in surprise. "An Illidari owes you a favor?"<br/>Tieria nodded as she bit her lower lip. She plucked a couple of her hair strands behind her right ear while giving out an explanation:<br/>"I know, It sounds… Odd. Nonetheless, I thought of reaching out to him. However, I do not know if he will respond to my call. Sending the missive to him has proven to be quite difficult enough." Said Tieria with a crooked smile. "The reason I am telling you right now, is because I have pleaded for them to arrive at tonight's full moon; hence I will have to pick them up close the ruins of Theramore."</p><p>Wrathion nodded at her reasonable explanation, as his face lit up with curiosity.<br/>"How does one end up with an Illidari owing them a favor?" Queried the black dragon. He rose out of his comfortable seat and walked over a small drawer which rested against the stone wall.</p><p>He pulled a jug of Dalaran white wine. Instead of offering to Tieria with words, the Black Prince simply rose an empty glass in her direction. The templar smiled and nodded; despite it still being early in the day, she realized she had the appetite for a sweet glass of Dalaran drink.<br/>However, she held her thumb and index fingers inches apart, indicating the small quantity of beverage she desired to have.</p><p>"It isn't that of an epic tale as you might think." Giggled Tieria while taking the glass of wine Wrathion has just poured for her. "I found him injured and brought him back to health."<br/>"Huh, that <em>is</em> anticlimactic." Confessed the dragon openly. He has sincerely thought it would have taken more to wind up with an Illidari favor in their pocket.</p><p>"I expected a story of redemption, lust and betrayal." Jested the Black Prince then he brought his glass to his lips, to savor the sweet taste of magical-made wine. Tieria rolled her eyes at Wrathion commentary, with a smile on her lips.<br/>"I am sorry to have disappointed you." She replied in a sarcastic and yet, humorous tone. Wrathion smirked at the templar, and guided his glass to Tieria's, gently hitting them into one another as a small toast.<br/>"So far, you have not disappointed me, dear templar." Said Wrathion alluringly. "And I do not have doubts that you will."</p><p>Tieria's cheek warmed up at the dragon's words. Although she was taken by surprise by his sudden heartfelt remark, the templar felt uplifted by hearing such flattery. She lifted her glass above her head to return the toast.</p><p>"And you haven't disappointed me either. You are more than I expected from a black dragon."<br/>"<em>Oh</em>?" Purred Wrathion. "What did you expect?" His tone indicated genuine interest in her answer.</p><p>Tieria smacked her lips, tasting the sweet wine while attempting to think of a proper answer. After a small pause, however, she gave a shrug in defeat.<br/>"I don't know…" She confessed followed by a chuckle from Wrathion's part. "The few dragons I have met were very arrogant towards us mortals, and refused to show any sort of friendship or even respect to some extent. But you…"</p><p>Tieria was unable to finish her sentence, her eyes were locked into his' and she found herself sinking into his gaze. She bit her lower lip, upon realizing their faces were a few inches apart from each other. Her fingers tightened around the glass she held, as she pulled it close to her chest.<br/>Wrathion simply stood close to her, his breath warmed Tieria's cheek as he patiently waited for Tieria to form a closer for her sentence.</p><p>"All what I meant to say, Wrathion." Pursued the templar to speak. "For the little time that I have known you, I have come to respect you."<br/>"Likewise." Breathed the dragon heartily.</p><p>A long silence settled between the Black Prince and the templar. Tieria shyly tore away her gaze from Wrathion, staring down at her drink while stirring her index finger around the glass' rim.<br/>However, unlike her, Wrathion continued to linger at Tieria's face.</p><p>"Why are you looking at me in such a way?" Inquired the templar slightly distressed, while watching the dragon crimson eyes roaming her every feature.<br/>"You do not look fully human." Said the dragon spontaneously.<br/>"Pardon me?" Glowered Tieria defensively, taken surprised by Wrathion's out of the blue observation regarding her appearance. He chuckled in reply and licked his lips, while pursuing to gaze upon her.<br/>"You look… Slightly elven… Quel'dorei to be more precise." Analyzed the dragon while slightly tilting his head, as if changing the angle of his view would help him form a better description.</p><p>"Wha-what do you mean by that?" Blabbered Tieria, completely disoriented at the particular conversation.<br/>"Your features." He chuckled, as his eyes went up and down, evaluating her once more. "You're quite slender, with light footsteps and yet, agile movement. And you have delicate features, both facial and physically. I cannot quite put my finger on it…" Continued Wrathion in a smirk. "But I cannot help but wonder if there is a tint of elven blood in you."</p><p>"Don't you think I would have pointy ears in that case?" Articulated Tieria in a mocking tone. Wrathion shrugged as he took a sip of his drink, then he said:<br/>"Not necessarily. I believe I have encountered half-elves who appeared more human rather than elven."</p><p>Tieria shrugged her head, finding the concept of her having an elven heritage absurd. She was born and raised in Lordaeron, by a human man. And as far as she was aware - both of her parents were born and raised in Lordaeron. Although the templar has never attempted to track down her lineage, she never had the suspicion of being a mix of another race.</p><p>As for her appearance, Tieria has had her amount of remarks regarding her petite features, as well as her body - but it was always painted in a negative light: too weak, too slim, hips unable to carry a child.<br/>But these observations never concluded she might be of elven roots; it has only affected the paladin's feelings towards herself; causing her to even loathe her appearance during youth.<br/>With time, Tieria has learnt to appreciate herself. Although the insecurities never fully vanished - for the time being, Tieria has mastered to push them aside.</p><p>She chugged the remaining of her drink and handed the empty glass to Wrathion.</p><p>What was supposed to be a simple report regarding her arriving comrades, turned into a bizarre declaration of the respect they held for one to another, and then the outlandish remarks of Tieria's appearance.</p><p>"I have duties to return to." She declared with a warm smile. "I'll see you after my pickups."<br/>"Do be safe, dear templar." Said the dragon in an alluring smirk as he watched Tieria exiting his chamber, with a smile on her face and burning red cheeks.</p><hr/><p>"Tragic what happened 'ere…" Murmured Caradin as he glanced upon the ruins of Theramore.</p><p>Even after so many years since the tragic assault - the once mighty Alliance city stood in ruins, radiating with arcane energy from the mana bomb which brought its ultimate end.</p><p>Felassan stood silently, next to the dwarf, the demon hunter attentively listening to Caradin's heavy sigh.<br/>"Though I do not serve the Alliance," Continued the Argent Crusade sergeant. "Many dwarfs do…" He drew in and released another heavy sigh. "I've lost brothers 'ere."</p><p>Felassan did not breathe a single word in reply, he was never good at comforting people. He lifted his head towards the sky, staring at the moon shining brightly upon Dustwallow Marsh.</p><p>"<em>…close to ruins of Theramore, when the White Lady is in her full-moon state</em>." Remembered the demon hunter the instructions Tieria gave in the letter. And yet, the young paladin had still to make an appearance.<br/>Felassan glanced back at Caradin, watching as the dwarf continued to grunt and shake his head at the tragedy that was Theramore.</p><p>The kaldorei's ears twitched upon the sound of branches being stepped on and cracking in the process. Swiftly he turned his head to the direction he heard the sound; through his scared eyes, he tried to locate the being behind it.</p><p>In a glimpse of a second, a slim figurine has emerged. Felassan instantly recognized Tieria emerging from the dense swamp of Dustwallow Marsh. She kept her brunette hair in a high ponytail as the first time he has met her, however this time her armor consisted of bronze-silver kilt made out of plate, with a small libram attached to right side of her waist and a breastplate which covered only half of her torso. She had a black longsword and a small satchel strapped on her back.</p><p>The templar seemed to have gained a small amount of weight since last he saw her; it sat well on her as she looked more toned, healthier and even stronger.<br/>In the year and a half that Felassan has not seen Tieria, her appearance was quite good.</p><p>Caradin has also heard the small commotion Tieria's footsteps have caused, and turned as well to find his friend standing in front of him. He gave her a large grin and opened his arms as he walked towards her and locked her into a warm embrace.</p><p>"Good ta' see ye in one piece, lass." Greeted Caradin. He pulled away from the hug, but one of his hands remained on Tieria's arm as he gently tapped it.<br/>"Likewise, Caradin." Smiled Tieria, joyous to witness her friend back in action. Then her attention turned to the demon hunter.<br/>"Felassan…" Exhaled Tieria while taking a few steps closer to the demon hunter. "You are a welcome sight." She said heartily while wrapping her arms gently around his neck. Felassan did not hesitate to return her loving greeting.</p><p>After the short and sweet moment of old friends reuniting, Caradin has decided to address the reason they were in the middle of a marshland in Kalimdor.</p><p>"So," Began the dwarf. "What is that bloody dragon up to?"<br/>Tieria inhaled deeply as she glanced back and forth between Caradin and Felassan, thinking of the best way to explain everything that has occurred since she has brought an injured black dragon into her chamber back in Hearthglen.<br/>"I'll speak the details on the way to the Ebon Rest." Declared Tieria. The smile from her lips suddenly disappeared and her eyes no longer glistened. "First I have to do something; you'll have to forgive me for this."</p><p>Caradin's forehead creased as he exchanged confused looks with the Illidari. The dwarf opened his mouth to address the templar, but failed to speak when he saw Tieria's left hand curling into a fist as she was channeling the Light in it.<br/>Her porcelain fingers glowed in a silver-to-gold light while her gaze was focusing in the ground. As confused as he was, Caradin did not react in any sort of way. Whatever Tieria intended on doing - he trusted it was necessary.</p><p>Felassan seemed to have felt the same way, although the Light seemed to irritate the demonic half of the kaldorei; his ears twitched in alarm and his muscles were visibly becoming tense.</p><p>Tieria redirected her eyes upon Caradin first, she took a step closer to him and slapped her Light-holding palm unto his forehead. For a short period of time, Caradin stood frozen, with his eyes glowing in the golden shade.<br/>The templar stood passive, her features displaying no emotion. She quietly watched the Light reacting to Caradin.</p><p>Felassan instinctively took a couple of steps back, but posed no questions. He believed Tieria would provide a proper explanation for this action.<br/>As soon as she retracted her hand, the Light left Caradin, returning his eyes to its natural color.<br/>The dwarf blinked dazed and shivered. Then after a second, he groaned loudly.</p><p>"<em>That</em> certainly woke me up." Pointed out Caradin, still blinking rapidly. "What did ye do, Tia?!"<br/>"Taking precaution." Explained Tieria simply. "I had to ensure if you were… <em>you</em>; not a k'thir."<br/>"You have had intruders, I take it?" Asked Felassan while crossing his arms. Tieria shook her head.<br/>"Not here." She explained. "But we were attacked on the road. And we cannot risk anyone knowing our location."</p><p>Felassan nodded in reply, inhaling deeply for he was aware Tieria was about to apply this 'test' on him as well. He took a step forward and unwrapped his arms.<br/>Tieria proceeded to do the same thing as before: she shut her eyes and took in a deep breath while sparks of Light began forming into her left hand. Then, in a swift maneuver, her palm stuck to Felassan's violet forehead.</p><p>Through his blindfold, his eyes shined in the same light as before. Unlike Caradin, who simply stood in shock as the Light purged through him – Felassan was hissing in pain, his dark veins were popping out in irritation, as he gritted his teeth.<br/>Nonetheless, the demon hunter stood his ground; and attempted to tolerate the burning of the Light for as long as he could. If he had been a servant of N'zoth, Tieria's Light would have already exposed him.</p><p>She removed her hand from the Illidan, watching him exhaling fast and loud.</p><p>"I am sorry to have put you through this." Apologized Tieria, seeing her friends struggling so much to recover from the touch of the Light was both painful to witness; but it also raised the question of how can the Light, which brought her nothing but peace and comfort, can provide such harm to a noble soul like Felassan?<br/>The demon hunter shook his head, as his breath finally returned to a regular pace. She reached out to touch his shoulder as she spoke:<br/>"The walking distance is long enough for me to explain everything we are doing here."</p><hr/><p>Tieria did not omit a single detail.</p><p>She told of her journey to Kul'Tiras, where she has acquired the dragon tome and how she had the silly luck to own a piece of a pristine black dragon scale, which eventually led to Wrathion tracking her down while he was running away from N'Zoth's servants.<br/>Describing the events of being chased by cultists, reaching Silithus, meeting Farseer Lorga and last but not least: discovering the abandoned Silver Hand sanctuary, sounded bizarre coming out from Tieria's mouth.</p><p>So much has occurred, and so much yet had to come that it overwhelmed the templar.</p><p>Tieria spoke fondly of Wrathion, attempting to already build a good impression of him to her comrades, despite Caradin still set in the thought that the Black Prince was: "A lizard lookin' for a fight."<br/>Felassan avoided to divulge his opinion for the time being. He waited until he could witness both the Black Prince in person and the Ebon Rest in reality.</p><p>Upon reaching the abandoned scouting tower – the same ritual occurred – Tieria placed her palm upon the block of tile engraved with the Silver Hand and quoted the tome of Divinity to gain entrance to the underground sanctuary.<br/>Felassan and Caradin's journey to Dustwallow Marsh was long and weary. Tieria did not need their confirmation - they were visibly tired. Hence, she intended on directly leading her comrades to the spare resting quarter.</p><p>"By my beard…" Exhaled Caradin in awe while gazing up the main hallway. "You found this, Tia?"<br/>Tieria nodded with a bright smile shining on her face.</p><p>Although there was still a lot of work to be done in other chambers, the main hallway was certainly looking impressive.</p><p>Its silver brick walls have been rebuilt and cleaned, shining against the crimson light of the fire which was burning from the decorative braziers.<br/>Two fountains, one on each wall, were filled with crystal clear water, with the help of Lorga's elementals. A couple of benches were situated against the walls, with small pillows in the same shade as the carpet, allowing anyone to rest comfortably.</p><p>Wrathion's agents have managed to procure a long velvet carpet; it rested from one end of the hall towards the other, reaching directly at the door which led to Wrathion's private chamber.<br/>Farseer Lorga's earth and water elementals have also aided in bringing back the herbs. Rich, green vines were decorating beautiful walls, even giving it a nice scent of freshness.</p><p>"Another paladin underground temple…" Breathed Felassan, much like Caradin, he was astonished by what he was witnessing. "It is-"<br/>"Impressive." Said the dwarf, finishing the demon hunter's sentence. To which Felassan simply nodded in agreement.<br/>"Wrathion's agents and Farseer Lorga have done an incredible job rebuilding this sanctuary." Praised Tieria as she watched Caradin's eyes roaming the surroundings.</p><p>"And we intend to make it even greater!" Echoed Wrathion's voice from the end of the hallway.<br/>Everyone redirected their attention to the dragon, who was walking towards their direction with Farseer Lorga by his side.</p><p>The half-elven masked dragon and the aged orc seemed to be coming from Wrathion's chamber, which made Tieria theorize they might have been discussing the next strategy together.<br/>As soon as Wrathion and Lorga stood before Tieria and her companions, the templar did not wait another second for introductions:</p><p>"This is Wrathion, the leader behind this operation and-"<br/>"The black dragon." Finished Caradin, with a bit of hostility in his voice. Felassan's eyebrows rose in surprise; although it wasn't visibly due to his eyes being covered by his blindfold, it was clear that the demon hunter was sizing up the dragon.<br/>"And this is Farseer Lorga. One of our allies with whom we will charge into N'Zoth's realm." Added the templar.</p><p>"A dwarf and a half-demon night elf..." Pointed out the orc, resting one of her hands lazily on her curved hips. Her honey colored eyes analyzed every detail, from their armor and weapon up to their faces.<br/>"An odd combination to fight an Old God with." As she finished her sentence, the Farseer switched the weight of her feet and crossed her arms, still gazing intensively at the newcomers.<br/>"It should not matter, as long as they are as skilled as our templar here claims." Smirked Wrathion while stroking his goatee and eyeing Tieria.</p><p>"This is Felassan." Continued Tieria with introduction with gesturing her hand to the tall night elf. "And this is Caradin."<br/>Lorga's expression was unimpressed but Wrathion's eyes shined with interest. Tieria could not help but notice that the Farseer had a glare directed to the kaldorei.</p><p>Which perhaps should have been a reaction the paladin should have anticipated. The Illidari were still half-demons; and the orcs - especially someone as Lorga, who has lived through those times - have a personal grudge against them.</p><p>Nonetheless, despite her cold attitude and rude comments, Farseer Lorga has shown that she would never intend to harm their allies... For as long as everyone is working towards ending the Old God's corruption.</p><p>"Well then, first thing tomorrow I intend on going over our next strategy regarding traveling to Northrend to reach the Forge of Wills." Addressed Wrathion while clasping his hands. "Since the two of you are a part of our selected champions, I expected the two of you to be present to it as well."</p><p>Caradin flinched at the dragon's order. He opened his mouth, preparing to give a snarky comment but was interrupted by Tieria taking a step between the pair.<br/>"I'll show you to your quarters." Asserted the templar, hoping she could keep a somewhat peace between her dwarven friend and dragon, who have begun their relationship on a very rock start.</p><p>"Since many of the chambers have been taken, you two will have to share one." Said Tieria to Caradin and Felassan. "I hope you will not mind."<br/>"As long as we don't sleep in the same bed." Shrugged Caradin. "This guy seems "hoggin'-the-blanket" type." Jested the dwarf while looking up and down the night elf. Felassan's jaw clenched at the dwarf's comment. Although he was minorly annoyed, he accepted the joke without giving a reply.</p><p>Farseer Lorga was the first one to break away from the group. She walked away to her quarters, without breathing another word. It was a gesture that everyone has gotten used by now; the orc wasn't one for polite gestures like saying "Good Night." or "Greetings."<br/>"I'll see you tomorrow, Wrathion." Smiled Tieria to the dragon, who returned her modest grin and nodded with his head, leaving Tieria and her companions to walk to the resting quarters.</p><hr/><p>After guiding Felassan and Caradin to their new chamber, Tieria returned to her own room to rest for the remaining night.</p><p>Much like any other night, she attempted her best to forget everything that has occurred during the day, in order to be able to have a proper slumber.</p><p>She removed her armor, exhaling in relief to have her body freed from the heavy plate, and arranged it on a chair as organized as one could do in such limited space.<br/>Tieria rushed to pull her night tunic on her torso when she heard a knock on the door of her chamber. Swiftly, the templar pulled the edges of the loose tunic, allowing the piece of satin fabric to rest comfortably on her shoulders.</p><p>"Come in." Ordered Tieria as she reached out to her hair clip, to free her locks from her ponytail hair-do once again.<br/>The door opened upon her words, and Felassan entered in Tieria's chamber. The templar smiled at the sight of the demon hunter, while taking a seat at the edge of the modest bed.</p><p>"Have you adjusted yourself here?" Asked Tieria of her unique friend's wellbeing. "Or is sharing a room with Caradin worse than a Warden's prison?"<br/>"It is not my place to complain." Murmured the demon hunter, with the corner of his dark violet lips lifting lightly. "If it is safe from our foes as you claim, then it is a good garrison. And I'll survive with the Sergeant."</p><p>Tieria giggled, and motioned to Felassan to sit next to her, which he did not protest. There was a short moment of silence as they sat next to each other. It seemed to have been slightly more challenging to rekindle with someone whom you haven't spoken to for more than a year.</p><p>In the end, Tieria broke the silence:<br/>"Thank you for answering my call, Felassan." Thanked the templar with a smile on her face. Felassan turned his half-covered face to her and shook his head:<br/>"You have sacrificed a lot for my sake, Tieria." Stated night elf melancholic. The smile suddenly erased itself off Tieria's lips as she tore her gaze from the Illidari.</p><p>Although she was joyous to have him by her side - since Felassan has become a treasured companion in her life - the demon hunter has brought undesirable memories to her.</p><p>"Do not mention it." Replied Tieria, trying to push away her melancholy through a chuckle.<br/>"Have you've been in contact with-"<br/>"No." Cut Tieria swiftly, well aware what the question would entail, without Felassan finishing it..</p><p>"I have not attempted to reach out to anyone… And I do not intend to." She rose from her bed, as she crossed her arms. Her eyes lingered upon the holy libram which rested on the small desk.<br/>"It's been months, Tieria." Argued Felassan. He also removed himself from the edge of the bed to stand face to face with the templar. "What you did was justified."<br/>"Felassan." Interrupted Tieria once more. "It is unnecessary to bring it up – it is in the past. I've made my peace with it."</p><p>She bit her lower lip as she took a brief pause. Then, she pursued to speak in a softer tone, almost in a whisper. She even lowered her head, as if she did not want even an insect hearing her speak:<br/>"It probably would have happened even without you by my side."</p><p>Felassan gave Tieria a weak nod, swiftly understanding that the templar had no desire to bring up the past; he did not desire to cause her discomfort.</p><p>Noticing the tension in her body, Felassan reached out and placed his hands on her arms. She did not react to his touch, despite it feeling so warm and familiar. The kaldorei prompted to take her chin into his fingers, gently compelling her to look at him.<br/>As her eyes searched his face, she gave him a small smile in reassurance; then she reached out to rearrange a lock of his ebon hair which was dangled around his left horn.</p><p>"I did not intend to sudden burst in here to remind you of your hardship." Lamented the Illidari. "I apologize."<br/>"I know you mean well, Felassan." Murmured Tieria softly. "But as of this moment, I do not care about anything else, aside from freeing this world from N'Zoth."</p><p>Tieria found herself placing her arm on his chest, with the tips of her nail, she softly traced the lines of his ebon tattoos. Felassan gently caressed both of her arms, before freeing her from his grasp.</p><p>"I'll leave you to your rest." Declared the Illidari. Tieria nodded, wishing him a good night rest.<br/>She once again, resumed to sit on the edge of her bed as she watched Felassan give her a smile and exited her chamber.</p><p>Afterwards, Tieria's gaze went over the holy tome, which was quietly chanting the crystal-sound melody. One very commonly heard emitting from the Naaru beings.<br/>"What I did was justified." Exhaled Tieria out loud to herself before extinguishing the candle which lit her room, and crawling under the covers.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Veracity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: A big headcanon will be seen in this chapter, regarding the Warlords of Draenor expansion. </p><p>Feedback and comments are always welcome! ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Wrathion woke up to the unusual sound of swords clashing against each other. The echo of the steel came from the main hall, which prompted the dragon to jump out of the bed in an instant; without bothering to fix his messy appearance, he swiftly grabbed his ebon and grey long coat and threw it on his shoulders as he exited his bedroom.</p><p>As soon as he opened the large doors, his eyes rested upon Tieria and the Illidari Felassan, clashing their weapons into one another. By the looks of it, it seemed the templar and the demon hunter were having an early morning warming up, as within their movement it was distinctly visible that the two of them were avoiding actually harming each other.</p><p>It seemed their practice duel was being overviewed by Caradin; the dwarf stood next to them, attentively watching their every move. His long axe was plunged into the ground, as he rested his hands around its hilt.</p><p>A small audience was also gathered around them as well. Few of Blacktalon agents were watching the sparring as they rested in the main hall. Even Farseer Lorga was present; she stood pressed against the wall, not further from Caradin, with her arms crossed and her eyes fixated upon Tieria's sword and Felassan's warglaives parrying each other.</p><p>Wrathion felt at ease after learning that the commotion from the main hall was a simple combat training, instead of having to deal with an ugly disagreement between his agents, as he assumed it was. Not that it has ever happened - but there was always the possibility.<br/>The dragon relaxed his stance, while remaining by the doorstep; watching Tieria and Felassan spar instead of bringing himself to a decent appearance.</p><p>Both the templar and the demon hunter were either unaware, or simply ignoring the ones surrounding them. They had their entire attention directed towards their battle.<br/>Felassan attempted to slash Tieria, swinging both of his warglaives left and right into her direction, while she defended herself unrelentingly.</p><p>"Alright! That's enough." Ordered Caradin. Wrathion watched as Tieria obediently listened to the dwarf, and took a step back away from the demon hunter. She exhaled while brushing off her side-bangs away from her right eye and simultaneously wiping off sweat.</p><p>Felassan, however, was not so eager to cease. He charged towards Tieria once more, to which the templar swiftly reacted: in a spin, she once again locked both of his warglaives into her longsword, attempting to push the demon hunter back. Their bodies trembled as they held their stance against one another.<br/>Tieria gritted her teeth as her muscles tensed and sweat was dripping off her forehead.</p><p>
  <em>"Such a heavy burden you carry. Soon, you will be free of it."</em>
</p><p>Suddenly, Tieria lost her grip. Her sword slipped away from Felassan's warglaives as if it had slipped on ice. While Tieria balanced her entire body on one foot, Felassan managed to retract his weapons before he could cause her any harm.</p><p>"Tia!" Exclaimed Caradin, taken by surprise by Tieria's sudden clumsiness. "Ye all right?"<br/>"Yes…" Nodded Tieria uncertainty. "A mere slip-up." She mumbled, while dropping her sword on the ground.</p><p>"How many times do I have to tell ye ta' pick up a shield?" Scolded the dwarf to which Tieria groaned. "None of these<em> 'slip-ups'</em> would happen if ye had a shield."<br/>"And <em>I've</em> told many times that it is too heavy for me." Barked the paladin slightly irritated.<br/>"Ye know what's heavy? A freakin' axe coming down on ye when ye don't have a shield to cover from it!"</p><p>Tieria rolled her eyes at the dwarf's comment. She exhaled loudly while attempting to regain her breath; unlike Felassan who didn't even break sweat, Tieria intended to take a bath before the scheduled morning meeting.</p><p>"Go get some water." Ordered Caradin. "Both of ye."<br/>Tieria's eyes went up to Wrathion, her lips immediately curled into a smile upon the sight of the dragon.<br/>"Good morning, curly locks." Grinned Tieria, finding herself amused by Wrathion half-asleep expression and disheveled head.<br/>The dragon released an empty chuckle as he approached Tieria and the others.</p><p>"I will bring myself into… Decent appearance." He mumbled still in a slumbering state while rubbing his eyes. "Then, we shall have our meeting in an hour. I expect you all in my chamber." Ordered Wrathion, then he simply returned to his chamber.</p><hr/><p>As it was expected: in an hour later, Wrathion commenced the meeting with his elected champions.</p><p>The Black Prince stood at the head of the long desk, which was situated in the middle of his chamber; Calthaire was standing to his right only slightly behind.<br/>Starting from the left side from him, was present Farseer Lorga and Tieria; across of them were Felassan and Caradin.</p><p>Ranulf, the only mage in Ebon Rest, was also attending the meeting and next to him stood his long-life partner, Arwel; a battle-hardened warrior, who has served Wrathion since the very beginning of the black dragon's crusade.</p><p>On the table itself, two large maps were spread out: one was the entire map of Azeroth and the second one, was the map of the icy continent of Northrend; often called <em>"the roof of the world"</em>, or even <em>"the crown of Azeroth".</em><br/>Northrend was a frozen wasteland which laid far to the north. It is where the Forge of Wills lingered within the mountains of Storm Peaks; and where Wrathion and his companions planned their journey to.</p><p>"For those unfamiliar with our task." Began the Black Prince, addressing loudly and confidently to everyone present in the room. "I shall speak of our strategy from the beginning." His brows drew together as the thought of the Corruptor began lingering in his mind.</p><p>"N'zoth is tearing down the veil, with the intention of bringing the Black Empire into our world once more. As mortals, our physical weapons, as well as our spells, are useless against the Old God. We intend to use the essence of the world itself, in order to end his corruption; and for that – we need to activate the twin forges: The Forge of Origination and the Forge of Wills." Wrathion eyed carefully every member; his expression hardened, as he continued:</p><p>"Now, the Forge of Origination is located in Uldum and Speaker Magni, alongside his selected team of champions, are tasked to activate it. We," the dragon pointed on the map of Northend in his index finger. "are hailing to Northrend, to activate the Forge of Wills. The power of the forges will transfer themselves to Forge of Heart, in Silithus, where our unique ally M.O.T.H.E.R, will redirect the forge's energy, crafting a searing blast into the Old God."</p><p>"How will this M.O.T.H.E.R know the location to blast this weapon?" Queried Felassan while stroking his ebony beard with his long nails.<br/>"That is our second task." Answered the Black Prince calmly. "We will be charging into Ny'alotha after we succeed in Northrend. We will create a path for M.O.T.H.E.R towards N'Zoth and anchor point the depths in which the Old God linger."</p><p>Wrathion faked a smile as he continued:<br/>"M.O.T.H.E.R might be a Titanic watcher; however, she cannot fight the army of the Black Empire by herself."<br/>Felassan simply nodded in approval, signaling his grasping of the Black Prince's strategy. Wrathion opened his mouth to pursue to speak but was interrupted by the Farseer:</p><p>"First comes the activation of the forge." Intervened Lorga, she rested her hands upon the desk, leaning in closer to examine the map. "Afterwards, we can arrange our strategy to assault Ny'alotha."<br/>"Yer keep talkin' bout activatin' forges." Winched Caradin; who, was the only one at the table taking the liberty of sitting down. "Ye know those are ancient titanic constructions? Ye don't simply press a button to turn 'em on."</p><p>Wrathion's face twisted lightly, but nonetheless, the dragon released a smirk on his lips.<br/>"I believe we will find the solution to its activation once we stand before the forge itself." Remarked the dragon presumptuously.</p><p>"The dwarf is right." Decreed Lorga while gazing upon Caradin. "Which also adds to the fact that this forge might be heavily defended."<br/>"True." Agreed Tieria with her friend and the Farseer. Her hands were clasped behind her back and her eyes were surveying everyone present:</p><p>"However, it is palpable that the wardens of the Forge are likewise watchers of the world itself; they will not stand by, waiting for N'Zoth to destroy it. They <em>must</em> see reason to aid us." Asserted the paladin, her voice slightly trembled, given that she was unaccustomed to talking to a crowd of more than three people.<br/>"Sounds like a lot of the strategy for this mission requires thinking on our feet." Commented Felassan in an inimical voice. Wrathion scrutinized the demon hunter with a small glare.</p><p>"This isn't as simple as charging into a demonic foothold and ravaging every demon left and right." Articulated the Black Prince. "We are talking about employing constructions from the ancient times to fight an ancient enemy." The corner of Wrathion's mouth turned up. "It is… A slight matter of luck and improvising. However, this is why you are on this mission – because you are champions that have passed similar trials."</p><p>The muscles in Felassan's jaw tightened. Albeit the Illidari are known as savage half-demon brutes, not a single comrade of Felassan's has ever charged into a battle without having their entire strategy lying before them. The notion of improvising their assault against an Old God did not bode well with the demon hunter.</p><p>"How do we get to Northrend?" Question Lorga abruptly; brushing off what she thought was a useless conversation.<br/>"We were theorizing on traveling on a ship." Replied Calthaire, her mouth set in a hard line. The Blacktalon night elf then turned to her Master. "But we are afraid we will be too exposed to the Corruptor's minions in open waters."</p><p>"No. No." Intervened Tieria childishly. "Not a ship." She protested while shaking her head.<br/>"Isn't this the reason we have a mage?" Inquired Felassan as he turned his head to Ranulf.</p><p>The white-haired human was taken by surprise by being mentioned in the discussion; his eyes widened in discomfort. He looked to everyone present in the room before speaking up:</p><p>"I can teleport us all to Northrend…" Admitted the human hesitantly. "However, I need to tap into a leyline to craft a portal large enough to teleport us all. Ordinarily, I would have taken us to Dalaran, but the city is no longer on that continent."</p><p>"There must be other ley-lines in Northrend, Ranulf." Pointed out Wrathion, to which the mage nodded and yet his eyes still shined with uncertainty.<br/>"The closet one to the Forge's location would be Wyrmrest Temple-" Ranulf immediately shut his mouth as his Master interrupted him:</p><p>"Absolutely not." Negated Wrathion, his nostrils flaring in anger and his forehead furrowed at the mention of the red dragonflight temple which lingered in the center of Northrend.<br/>"Aren't more of ye dragon fellows there?" Addressed Caradin, puzzled at the dragon's sudden antagonism.</p><p>"Alexstrasza and the rest of her dragonflight are not <em>"my dragon fellows"</em>!" Protested the Black Prince in anger.<br/>"Master," Intervened Calthaire slightly anxious as she took a step closer to Wrathion. "There is no other choice of reaching Northrend, lest we put you in anger."<br/>"<em>No</em>." Declared Wrathion firmly.</p><p>The Black Prince lowered his head, while trying to reach a solution. He was adamant not to encounter any other dragonflights, especially the red dragonflight - as they were responsible for the experimentation which were made upon him while he was still hatching in the egg.<br/>The black dragon did not see the red dragons as his kin, only as savages who abused his mother and saw his brethren as a threat who are unworthy of redemption.</p><p>To have Ranulf craft a portal at Wyrmrest Temple, would mean Wrathion would have to address the red dragons one way or another, since Alexstrasza and her kin were ever watchful upon those who trespass upon their territory.<br/>A long silence dwelled in Wrathion's chamber. By reading everyone's expressions, it was distinctly clear that each person was attempting to think of a safe manner to reach Northrend.</p><p>Tieria fixated her eyes on Wrathion, who was nibbling on his bottom lip while analyzing the map of Northrend. Something in her soul stung over the thought of different dragonflights unable to find common ground.<br/>Nonetheless, she knew what the red dragonflights have done to Wrathion; hence – the paladin found the black dragon's desire to avoid them, understandable.</p><p>"Then we take a zeppelin." Broke the silence Lorga. "It is the easiest way to reach Northrend in a decent amount of time."<br/>"Where are we going to get a zeppelin from?" Inquired Tieria puzzled.</p><p>Zeppelins were flying contraptions created by goblins, with machines employing bags filled with gas to make them buoyant in the air. It was a large craft, tend to be packed with either cargo or paying passengers; and it was famously used among the Horde.</p><p>"Orgrimmar." Stated Lorga simply while crossing her arms. "Or Ratchet. We're close to the port town; you might find a goblin which will sell you a private zeppelin for a handsome amount."</p><p>Wrathion's dapper face lit up; he favored Farseer's idea. It would be much more difficult for the Corruptor to reach the Black Prince in the skies rather than the waters.</p><p>"Then we will also need to hire a pilot." Argued Calthaire, unlike her Master, the night elf remained unconvinced. "As far as I know, one cannot simply operate a zeppelin without basic knowledge of the machinery." Stated the Blacktalon agent.<br/>"I can pilot the zeppelin." Said Caradin while raising his right hand. Tieria's eyes narrowed at her friend while giving him a bewildered look.</p><p>"Caradin, since when do you know how to pilot Horde machinery?" Asked the templar in a rather amused tone, rather than hostile. Caradin growled lightly:<br/>"Look! I cannot stand goblins!" Confessed the dwarf. "But their engineerin' is one of a kind! I learned it back in Gadzgetan, long before I become a sergeant of the Argent Crusade."</p><p>Tieria chuckled lightly, finding herself quite astonished that Caradin has gone in such great length to learn engineering. She smiled at the dwarf while simultaneously praising herself, for recruiting such a resourceful ally like Caradin into Wrathion's team.</p><p>"The skies <em>are</em> safer than the waters…" Affirmed Felassan in a shrug.<br/>Tieria turned around, watching as every member was nodding along to each other. It seemed that they have reached an agreement.</p><p>"Well, then. Zeppelin seems like the viable choice." Chuckled the Black Prince, once again in his confident tone. He took a small pause; with his finger he pointed at the map to the location they were, then he traced it over to Northrend.<br/>"Calthaire," Spoke the dragon once again, while turning his head at the night elf. "Take Ranulf and Arwel with you, and see if you can purchase a zeppelin from Ratchet." The night elf did not breathe a word; she simply saluted her master.</p><p>Then Wrathion turned to his recruited allies, his face painted with determination:<br/>"The rest of you, prepare yourself for the journey to Northrend. Gather everything you think it will be necessary – we depart as soon as we have our transportation."</p><hr/><p>In the remaining morning, everyone proceeded as per Wrathion's orders: Calthaire and the two Blacktalon agents set for Ratchet, in order to attempt to procure a zeppelin.<br/>Tieria, after readying herself by polishing her armor and sword, then packing necessary belongings for the journey; scouted the broken tower above the Ebon Rest – eagerly waiting for their return.</p><p>Felassan had little to prepare, for he wore the same exposed leather armor he arrived in, as well his set of warglaives. The demon hunter had no other personal items; and for the remaining time, he took the liberty of actually taking a short slumber in the main hall.</p><p>"What are you doing, dwarf?" Interrogated Lorga while approaching Caradin, who was kneeling in front of a triangular platform made out of platinum, which the Farseer has never noticed before. Hinging on the hammer Caradin held his right hand, the orc theorized that he was behind the sudden appearance of the platform in the main hall.</p><p>"It's a translocator." Explained Caradin simply. Then he proceeded to plunge the hammer into a corner of the platinum triangle as he was sealing it into the ground. Next to his foot, laid what seemed to be a cylinder crate made out of the same metal material. He slid it closer to Lorga as he pointed at it. "With this - we can return immediately to the Ebon Rest."</p><p>The orc nodded, taken slightly surprised by the dwarf's ingenuity. Caradin lifted his gaze to glance at the Farseer, who appeared to be ready for their journey.</p><p>She no longer wore her leather kilt, although she kept her black sleeveless brasette. Her legs were covered in heavy plated armor, made out of red leather; steel spikes arranged on knees and the side part of her thighs. Her boots, gauntlets and shoulderpads were of the same material and design.<br/>On her waist, rested a leather belt with multiple small bags and satchels attached around it, with two axes sheathed to either sides of her waist. A thick cloak, made out of wolf fur, was covering half of her body.</p><p>The Farseer's dark crimson hair was kept in the same hairdo as before: a portion of her locks were kept in a high ponytail, with a couple of braided strands. The unrestrained portion of her hair, rested loosely on her back.<br/>Her slightly wrinkled face was decorated with white warpaint which consisted of a long stripe drawing itself from the middle of her hairline down to the end of her forehead. And two stripes perpendicular on each of her cheeks.</p><p>Caradin had seen and interacted with orcs before; but something about Farseer Lorga brought shivers down his spine by simply being in the presence of her. There was an aura filled with powerful energy radiating from Lorga.</p><p>Swiftly, Caradin tore away the gaze from Lorga and resumed to install the translocator.</p><p>"Calthaire has managed to acquire a zeppelin!" Came Tieria's voice from behind. Both Caradin and Lorga turned to witness the templar walking down the stairs and approach them in a hasting pace, with a bright smile on her face. "The owner was kind enough to pilot it next to the shores of the marshland."<br/>Lorga found herself smirking at her enthusiasm, while Caradin released a small cheer in the form of a chuckle.</p><p>"Well then!" Exclaimed the dwarf. "Let me finish wrapping up this machinery, and we're good to go!"<br/>"Is this another translocator?" Inquired the paladin, recalling seeing the particular platform built in the encampment she served during the Northrend campaign.<br/>"Aye." Nodded Caradin. "I have perfect it! We'll return ta' this place in a blink of an eye after we activate the forge."</p><p>Tieria smiled confidently at her friend, feeling a light tickling in her stomach. The templar found herself quite excited about the upcoming mission; She felt entirely confident, as if the Light itself whispered to her that they will succeed.<br/>Suddenly, the door to Wrathion's chamber opened widely and the dragon emerged.</p><p>He wore his usual attire, a long ebon cloak with a crimson waistband, grey shoulderpads which were shaped to appear as dragon scales and metal gauntlets. He had a black backpack resting on his back and a longsword was sheathed next to his right hip.<br/>Much like everyone else, he was prepared for the icy depths of Northrend, as he wore a heavy fur cloak wrapped around his entire attire.</p><p>He walked proudly inside the main hall, with a confident smile painted on his dark lips. It seemed he has overheard Tieria's report, as he gave out the command:<br/>"Everyone must be present on the eastern beach soon. We leave when the sun is highest."</p><hr/><p>Nobody, aside from Calthaire and Wrathion knew the true price the goblin had sold the zeppelin for; but even the most limited mind would imagine it must have been a handsome amount, given the astonishing craftsmanship of the flying machinery.</p><p>It was large enough to fit an entire army; its gasbag was stitched out of sand-brown material, much like the rudders. The gondola was built in fine oak wood which has been polished and shined brightly upon the light of Azeroth's sun. The spindle, or the nose-tip of the zeppelin as some know of, was in the common design of a sharp cone; and it was made of out the strongest metal on Azeroth – elementium.</p><p>Before purchasing the zeppelin, Calthaire alongside her Blacktalon companions, have thoroughly inspected the inside of the machinery as well. There was a small chamber above the gondola, serving as a captain room, fit for their black dragon leader to take over while he laid out the steps of their mission.<br/>Although there was a lack of additional private chambers for the rest of the members to seclude in during the travels – there were plenty of hammocks arranged below the deck; allowing Wrathion's companions to have some manner of rest during their travel to another continent.</p><p>Finally, a small arsenal room was also present on the other side of the lower deck. It was filled with cannonballs, some modest daggers and swords; and some pistols which the goblin warned not to use.<br/><em>"They have not been cleaned properly."</em> He said.<br/>Finally, on each side, there were three metal cannons. Albeit, Wrathion and his companions were not expecting an avian combat – Calthaire thought it would be quite useful to own them.</p><p>When the sun was highest and shined upon the shores of Dustwallow Marsh, the Blacktalon agents who were accompanying the Black Prince, were busy loading up the zeppelin with all the resources necessary for such a long journey.</p><p>The men who would join Wrathion to Northrend, were to remain next to the Forge of Wills, defending it from the Corruptor's minions who, may or may not, assault itat any moment.<br/>The remaining Blacktalon members were ordered to ensure the Ebon Rest is properly taken care of and under no circumstances leave the underground sanctuary, lest they desired to remain locked out; given that Tieria was the only one able to open the secluded entrance.</p><p>During the final preparations, Caradin took his time to familiarize himself with the mechanics of the zeppelin; while Calthaire was bringing order to where all the supplies had to be arranged.<br/>Felassan was aiding the Blacktalon agents in carrying the barrels of water and crates of food.</p><p>Farseer Lorga, was drawing out the map, analyzing the best path to reach the Forge of Wills which lied towards the end of Storm Peaks. And Wrathion had immediately ran up towards the captain's quarters in order to examine it.</p><p>"The old compass." Exhaled Tieria while glancing at a beautiful, mithril made compass which rested on the handrail, close to Caradin. She gently picked up the artifact, holding it in her open palm. "I cannot believe you still have it." Smiled the templar, while finding herself diving into the realm of memories.<br/>She recalled Caradin possessing this particular item since the first day she has met him.</p><p>"Aye." Muttered the dwarf while stroking the wooden steering wheel with his palm. "The only item in me possession from when I lived in Khaz Modan. Before I fled to Lordaeron durin' the Second War."</p><p>Hearing the mention of the Second War - during which the orcs have conquered the dwarven land of Khaz Modan - made Tieria turn to Farseer Lorga, watching as the orc was carefully analyzing the maps.</p><p>From the little interaction that she had with her, Tieria knew that Lorga was one of the first orcs to cross the Dark Portal. The paladin has also learnt that the orc played a role in the siege of Stormwind City during the First War. One could easily assume that the Farseer has also assisted her people in the further wars as well.</p><p>"Does it bother you?" Whispered Tieria quietly to her friend. Caradin stared confused at her, unable to perceive her question; which prompted Tieria to modestly motion her head towards Lorga, indicating she was inquiring if an orc's presence would annoy the dwarf; given how her people have chased him away from his home.</p><p>"Nay, lassie." Replied Caradin while shaking his dark blonde head. "It's been years… I know some are unable to do it, but I have learnt to forgive 'em." He blinked haltingly as he took a pause. "I was a nobody beggar in my homeland, betrayed by me own blood." Said the dwarf while glancing down at the compass which was still in Tieria's hand. "Having the opportunity ta flee Khaz Modan was a blessin' in disguise."</p><p>Tieria found herself smiling at his words.<br/>"I suppose that's true… I would have not met you otherwise." She said lovingly. Caradin chuckled and took a step closer to Tieria.<br/>"Aye. Me life would have borin' without a wee cub like ye, pesterin' me ta teach sword fighting." He laughed as he cupped both of her pale-pink cheeks; followed by a light, playful slap, which prompted Tieria to giggle.</p><p>She removed her gaze from Caradin to glance down at the compass once more, watching the arrow from inside wiggling to the northern direction.<br/>"Despite you holding little love for Khaz Modan." Began Tieria. "It is still nice owning an item from the land you were born in." She expressed melancholic, while thinking of the small Lordaeron town she grew up in.<br/>Caradin's eyes went up and down from the compass to Tieria.</p><p>"Yer know ye can go back…" He muttered. "See if there anythin' ye can salvage from ye and yer father's house."<br/>"That land is Horde territory now, isn't it?" Tieria questioned softly. "And it has been utterly destroyed during the Fourth War… Or so I heard at least."<br/>Caradin shrugged and smacked his lips.<br/>"Is it somethin' ta consider." Concluded the dwarf.</p><p>Suddenly, a cough was heard from Tieria and Caradin's side, which compelled them to turn and witness Farseer Lorga standing next to them. Both the dwarf and templar found themselves jumping lightly in surprise, as neither of them noticed or heard the orc approaching them.</p><p>Lorga ignored their puzzled faces; she handed the map to Caradin without breathing a word until the map was gripped in the dwarf's hands.</p><p>"This is the best route to take." Said the orc while watching Caradin examine the traced map. "We sail-, <em>fly</em>," She corrected herself. "north-east, towards the Frozen Sea; and we cross Dragonblight to reach Storm Peaks."<br/>Caradin nodded while analyzing the ink lines Lorga had drawn upon the map. He found the path quite clear and safe as well.</p><p>"Looks good enough, lass-" He lifted his eyes, staring at the tall, well-built orc who stood with a stone expression in front of him. He bit his tongue, realizing that Lorga might be twice his age. "<em>Ma'am</em>." Corrected the dwarf intimidated.</p><p>Tieria pressed her lips against each other, sealing in a giggle, as she found amused by Caradin's sudden intimidation from Lorga.<br/>The Farseer was about to walk away from Tieria and Caradin, but suddenly Wrathion emerged from the captain's chamber, causing her to sit in her place while having her attention focused on the dragon.</p><p>"Are we ready to depart?" Asked the Black Prince in a cheerful tone. He glanced around the deck of the zeppelin, watching all of his agents, as well as his champions, abroad with the supplies.<br/>Caradin turned around to examine everyone present as well. It seemed that finally – all the preparations were finished. While everybody was nodding their heads, signaling that they were ready, Caradin reached out to pull the lever which began the engine of the zeppelin.</p><p>"Alright, hold ye to yer hats!" Cried out the Argent Crusade sergeant optimistically, as he snatched his compass off from Tieria's palm. "We're sailin' north!"</p><hr/><p>They flew over the Frozen Sea for hours, and reached the edge of Northrend during sundown.</p><p>In the meanwhile, everyone was caring for their business: Caradin was navigating the zeppelin, with Calthaire by his side, often checking if he was following the correct path.<br/>Felassan was entertaining himself by watching a couple of Blacktalon agents competing against each other by testing their dagger throwing skills.</p><p>Farseer Lorga was in the back of the zeppelin, sitting cross-legged with her eyes shut, attempting to meditate.<br/>And Tieria took the leisure by reading scripts from her libram while enjoying a smoke out of her pipe.</p><p>Wrathion would always go back and forth from the captain's quarters to the deck, ensuring that everything is running smoothly so far. Once they began crossing the land of Dragonblight, Wrathion was analyzing the horizon through a spyglass.</p><p>"Are you alright?" Came Tieria's voice from behind. Wrathion turned to witness the templar approaching him. A small smirk appeared on his lips upon the sight of Tieria by his side.<br/>"Never better." Replied the dragon in a charming tone. "We are finally setting the plan in motion to defeat the Old God." He exhaled while gazing upon the horizon covered in the soft and delicate clouds of Azeroth. "Long have I waited for this."</p><p>"Let us hope the journey will sail smoothly." Spoke the templar, her eyes remaining on the black dragon. Wrathion nodded at her words.<br/>"Indeed." Smirked the Black Prince, his gaze lingering upon Tieria. His crimson eyes swiftly were locked into hers.</p><p>"Why are you looking that way at me? Are you going to tell me I look elven again?" Jested the paladin with a smile on her lips. "Or do I look quite draenei today?"<br/>Wrathion could not help but release a chuckle at her mocking questions, recalling the day before, where he commented on the fact that Tieria might have quel'dorei ancestry given her certain features.</p><p>Tieria's smile brightened upon the dragon's laugh and a flush crept up her face.<br/>"I had no intention of making such a remark." Said the Black Prince merrily, as he still chuckled.</p><p>Tieria's cheeks intensified in red shade at his alluring smirk. She found herself overwhelmed by the dragon's charming appearance, which led her to tear her gaze away from him. Her eyes rested on his thorax where the beautiful golden necklace with a large ruby gem rested.</p><p>The templar has taken notice of the exquisite jewelry before, but has never questioned its origins, until now:<br/>"Is there a story behind this trinket?" She asked curiously as she pointed at the center of the ruby gem with her index finger. Wrathion reached out to the necklace, tugging it gently between his fingers. His eyes analyzed the piece of jewelry silently, before giving a reply to Tieria:</p><p>"It once belonged to my loved one…" Whispered the dragon melancholic. Tieria's eyes widened upon hearing the dragon's confession and she pursued to attentively listen to his words:<br/>"She was a lovely woman. Beautiful and strong … And I've lost her to a tragic accident." He gripped the ruby necklace tightly in his fist, as his crimson eyes gazed upon the horizon.</p><p>"<em>Oh</em>." Breathed Tieria, both wistfully and stunned at the mention of Wrathion's lost mate. She found herself unable to give a reply of comfort, as she was stunned by the discovery. After a brief silence between them, Tieria was only able to give a basic condolence:<br/>"I'm sorry, Wrathion…"</p><p>The Black Prince simply nodded at the paladin, refusing to gaze upon her. Tieria's eyes fell to the ground, as she was searching her heart – wondering if it would be appropriate to press details on what Wrathion has just told her.<br/>As the templar stood silently, a light sneer came out from the dragon. Gradually, the chuckling grew louder, which prompted Tieria's brows to snap together in confusion.</p><p>"I cannot believe you fell for that, templar." Gushed the dragon as he laughed out loud. Tieria blinked in disorientation, then her eyes widened upon realizing what Wrathion meant by his words. Her cheeks flushed red, embarrassed that she fell to a lie so easily.</p><p>"You lying snake!" Screeched Tieria; she drew her hand into a fist before giving a light hit into Wrathion's shoulder, whose laugh only intensified.<br/>Despite being flustered, she also gave out a giggle. Wrathion's laughter was proven to be quite contagious. The templar's expression relaxed despite the redness never leaving her cheeks.</p><p>"<em>Was</em> there ever a loved one?" Inquired Tieria timidly after their laughing echoed away.<br/>"Curious, aren't we?" Smirked the dragon alluringly, as he raised a brow. Tieria shyly bit her lower lip.<br/>"Perhaps." Muttered Tieria flustered. Wrathion's grin only grew at her reply. "I recall you mentioning being interested in an affair, if the '<em>mortal is intriguing enough</em>'." Quoted the templar in a giggle.</p><p>The dragon chuckled, while remembering the particular conversation he has had with the templar on the ship. It was at the dawn of their journey, when they were sailing from Eastern Kingdoms to Kalimdor. Tieria grew curious to learn of the amount of mortal activities a dragon would indulge himself with; and the paladin daringly asked if a dragon would copulate with a mortal.</p><p>"I believe I said I <em>would</em> be interested." Corrected the Black Prince while stroking his goatee. "Provided the mortal is intriguing enough."<br/>"So… The way I understand," Formulated Tieria teasingly. "There was <em>never</em> a mortal or immortal affair?"</p><p>One of the dragon's dark brow rose, intrigued by Tieria's teasing. He enjoyed the harmless banter between him and the templar, which occasionally had a drop of flirtation.<br/>Mostly, he enjoyed seeing the innocent-appearing templar becoming flustered by his voluptuous words; nonetheless, he fancied Tieria stepping in with the amorous advance, for the dragon had to admit to himself that he found Tieria... <em>Intriguing</em>.</p><p>"Not even a petite infatuation?" Queried the paladin.<br/>"And what of you, dear templar? Hm?" Jested the Black Prince while tracing his index finger along her delicate jawline. "Have you ever had a petite infatuation… Or a large carve of lust towards someone?"</p><p>Tieria rapidly blinked at him, noticeably taken by surprise by his daring question. She pressed her rose-pink lips against each other while her eyes narrowed at him.<br/>"Don't answer a question with another question!" She scolded with flushing red cheeks. To which Wrathion released a loud laugh.<br/>"That is a quite defensive response." Cackled the black dragon.</p><p>"What in the bloody arse, they keep gigglin' about?" Muttered Caradin who watched their conversation from the controlling board. He was quite far to overhear their words; and it was highly likely that neither Tieria nor Wrathion noticed the dwarf lingering upon them.</p><p>"Are you bothered that she is having a good time?" Teased Felassan, finding himself amused by the dwarf's overprotection he had for Tieria.<br/>From the moment that he has met the dwarf, the Illidari noticed the constant father-like behavior coming from Caradin towards Tieria.<br/>Caradin grunted in reply and shrugged.<br/>"I simply cannot understand how a dragon can be so funny." Elaborated Caradin. Felassan opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by suddenly losing his balance, forcing himself to reach to the handrail to save himself from falling.</p><p>Suddenly, there was a strong force shaking the zeppelin. Everyone turned their gaze to either of the sides, theorizing that it was a sudden but powerful wind that caused the disturbance of their machinery. Oddly enough, the wind began emitting a loud noise which mirrored the sound of wings flapping.</p><p>Confused by the occurring event, many Blacktalon agents were exchanging confused glances. Farseer Lorga approached the edge of the zeppelin, planning on communicating with the elements of the wind to find a reason behind this commotion.</p><p>However, a loud and deep growling emitting from above the zeppelin was a sign that there was a creature causing the disturbance.</p><p>As Wrathion attentively listened to the somewhat familiar growl, he exhaled out loud in irritation; he instantly realized what kind of beast was behind this, given the fact that they were crossing the land of Dragonblight.<br/>In a matter of a second - his theory was proven correct – in a sudden movement, the zeppelin gripped by a massive clawed hand; it was covered in crisp red scales and its sharp dark claws where holding the goblin machinery strong enough to cease it from flying, but careful enough not to damage the zeppelin itself.</p><p>Everyone who was aboard immediately unsheathed whatever weapons they possessed. Except for Wrathion, who instead, walked towards the tip of the zeppelin to face the scaled beast.</p><p>The heavy clouds vanished, revealing the massive, red dragon who elevated in front of them as he held the zeppelin in his right hand. His threatening and aggressive stance, easily gave away that this dragon was a male.<br/>Large and long black horns were emerging from his head, each of them was decorated with golden trinkets. A silver goatee was emerging from his chin, trailing down to his neck. His golden eyes pierced coldly towards Wrathion and his companions.</p><p>"You trespass upon the Dragon Queen's territory!" Growled the red dragon. "State your reason before you proceed any further!"<br/>"What is this? A draconic border-control?" Snarled Lorga; both irritated and dazzled as she walked a couple of steps closer to Wrathion, with her axes still unsheathed. "This land does not belong to you, dragon."</p><p>Tieria's eyes widened at the orc's attitude towards the winged creature. This dragon could simply kill them all with a slap with his hand, the thought of taunting him did not sit well with the templar.<br/>She redirected her gaze at Wrathion, who remained frozen in front of the red dragon, anger was clouding his features.</p><p>"Ever since Garrosh Hellscream has sent enslavers to this place, to capture and subjugate our kind, we do not allow simple mortals to cross this territory without the Queen's knowledge." Explained the red dragon. Lorga twitched upon hearing the name of the Horde's once Warchief.</p><p>"So, we have to report to you where we are heading?" Inquired Wrathion in a quite arrogant tone. "You do not have anything else better to do than act as watchman for Alexstrasza?"<br/>"Do not test my patience, whelp!" The red dragon's eyes narrowed at Wrathion, as he pursued to speak: "Do not think I don't smell Neltharion's stench on you!"<br/>The Black Prince gritted his teeth, and his jaw clenched.<br/>"Whatever you are trying to achieve, Queen Alexstrasza must know!" Commanded the red dragon. "Fly your machine to the Wyrmrest Temple or face my fire!"<br/>"Absolutely not!" Argued Wrathion. The mere thought of standing in front of Alexstrasza, made his blood boil.</p><p>The red dragon released a loud roar, causing many of his agents to cover their ears to defend themselves from the sharp screech. Tieria attempted her best to keep her ground; however, even someone as fascinated by dragons as her, found to be scared by the particular red dragon's presence.</p><p>"Wrathion!" Addressed Farseer Lorga. "Don't."<br/>"I will not respond to Alexstrasza like some sort of lap dog!" Replied the black dragon angrily. Lorga threw her axes on the floor, her gaze locking on Wrathion.<br/>"Pick your battles." Said the Farseer quietly. "We cannot afford to lose time or have unnecessary bloodshed." She gritted between her teeth, her forehead puckered while giving him a glare.<br/>Wrathion remained silent, his expression visibly displayed that he utterly disagreed with her words.</p><p>Lorga glanced around, noticing the fear, disorientation and undecidedness among those surrounding them. She looked at Felassan, who stood not far from her, with his warglaives still unsheathed, ready to attack at any moment.<br/>Confidently, Lorga reached out to touch one of his warglaives and push it down – annulling his combat stance.</p><p>"Wrathion…" Addressed Tieria, taking a step closer to the Black Prince. He turned at her, his gaze still burning with resentment. It was surreal, how in a matter of a couple of minutes, Wrathion's expression changed from sensual and charming to antagonistic and furious.<br/>"Go and tell her that we need to get to Storm Peaks." Insisted the templar as she agreed with Lorga - fighting and harming another dragon would only complicate their mission.</p><p>The Black Prince inhaled sharply, loathing himself for ending up in this situation, despite desperately trying to avoid it. It wasn't as simply as Tieria claimed – he couldn't just tell the Life-Binder where he journeyed without giving a reason.<br/>Even if she would learn of his intentions, he believed Alexstrasza would try to put a stop to his actions – for she, and many other dragons did not trust him; despite the fact that his existence in this world was made by the red dragonlfight themselves.</p><p>As he felt all eyes on him, and aware that the red dragon was becoming impatient, Wrathion growled in defeated and said:</p><p>"Caradin! Direct the zeppelin to the Wyrmrest Temple." Ordered Wrathion. He looked up to the red dragon, who at first hesitated to release them from their grasp.<br/>Shortly after, the red dragon's nostrils flared as he nodded to the Black Prince. He removed his hand away from the zeppelin, causing the machine to shake strong enough to cause its members to fall on the floor.</p><p>Despite releasing the zeppelin from his grasp, the red dragon did not fly away, he intended to flying alongside them until Wyrmrest Temple.<br/>As Caradin once again started the goblin machinery; Wrathion approached Tieria, who was sitting on her bottom as she lost her balance from the shake of the zeppelin caused by the red dragon. He extended his hand, aiding her in resuming to stand on her feet.</p><p>"I want you to accompany me." Whispered the Black Prince. Tieria's brows lifted upon his words.<br/>"To the Wyrmrest Temple?" Asked the templar for confirmation, to which the dragon nodded.<br/>"I highly doubt the discussion with Alexstrasza will go smoothly." Confessed Wrathion, his voice was cold and the alluring smile he usually had on his lips was gone.</p><p>"She sees me as a threat." Continued the dragon.<br/>"But if she learns you are trying to stop N'zoth-"<br/>"She'll only assume I will fall to his corruption like my father." He interrupted.</p><p>Tieria sealed her lips. She only has seen the Life-Binder soaring the skies; never having the honor of standing before the Queen of the dragons.<br/>To learn that she might gain an audience with the Life-Binder herself, was an unimaginable dream to Tieria.</p><p>"And you think <em>my</em> presence will help?" Tieria continued with her interrogation. A small smirk appeared on the corners of Wrathion's lips.<br/>"Ever since I met you, I've escaped death for a certain amount of times." Said the dragon, his tone gradually warming up. Then he released an empty chuckle: "I see you as a lucky charm.</p><hr/><p>Upon arriving at Wyrmrest Temple, Wrathion ordered everyone to remain on the zeppelin. To his surprise, nobody protested – and he felt uncertain what that meant.<br/>Were his own agents afraid to stand in front of the Life-Binder, or did they believe this issue only involved Wrathion, and assumed that they should not even bother to intervene?</p><p>Nonetheless, alongside Tieria, and the red dragon, who took the shape of a tall, muscular human male with tanned skin and dark long hair, Wrathion proceeded to walk inside the Wyrmrest Temple.</p><p>Alexstrasza's chamberlain guided them on the last floor of the tower, just below the iconic balcony where once stood the Wyrmrest Accord – an alliance between the four dragonflights.<br/>It was founded by Alexstrasza, after the Aspect of the blue dragonflight, Malygos, declared war upon all mortal spellcasters.</p><p>For years, the Wyrmrest Accord was bringing out peace and balance to the dragonflights, and to the world. Eventually they sought to restore the dragons back to their prime and thus, they began to experiment on the black dragonflight, hoping to cleanse them from the Old God's corruption; resulting in bringing Wrathion into this world.<br/>After Deathwing's ultimate defeat, causing the prime dragons to lose their power of the Aspects, the Wyrmrest Accord did not desire to continue. It was shortly disbanded, believing that Azeroth's fate can safely rest in the hands of the mortal races after the Earthbreaker was destroyed.</p><p>Now, the Wyrmrest Temple was only home to Queen Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, and the red dragonflight.</p><p>Inside the circular room, five lounges were placed, decorated with clean furs and comfortable pillows. Supposedly each of the lounges was a seat for each Aspect; however – now, they were empty aside from only two seats taken.</p><p>One of them, on the left side from the central seat, was seated a gnome. She had light blonde hair, almost silver tone, braided in two buns. Her skin was ivory and her eyes bright green; she wore an elegant silver dress, with a bronze breastplate atop it.</p><p>On the central lounge, arranged at the head of the room, was seated Alexstrasza the Life-Binder; once Aspect of the red dragonflight and the guardian of all life in Azeroth.</p><p>She chose the form of a quel'dorei; with almond skin color and bright golden eyes. Her long, ruby hair was reaching its length down to her chest.<br/>In her humanoid form, she wore a see-through red robe, with golden outlines around the neck and end of the sleeves. Through her dress, it was seen she was an armored breastplate which hardly covered much of her body, for it resembled a set of undergarments. Both of her wrists and ears, as well as her neck, were decorated with golden jewelry.</p><p>Tieria found herself blushing as she laid her eyes upon the Life-Binder; it was a beauty beyond the templar's imagination.</p><p>As she and Wrathion were approaching in the center of the chamber, Alexstrasza adjusted herself in her seat. Her golden eyes had a tint of… Melancholy, as soon as Wrathion stood in front of her. She remained silent, as she analyzed Tieria and Wrathion.</p><p>"Spare me the speeches, Alexstrasza." Pleaded the black dragon in disgust. "I am simply here to tell you that I intend on crossing Dragonblight to reach Storm Peaks. My reasons are my own." Stated Wrathion coldly.<br/>Alexstrasza's nose lightly twitched upon the Black Prince's antagonizing voice, but nonetheless, her expression remained serene.<br/>"We know you intend to fight N'Zoth, Wrathion." Replied the Dragon Queen calmly. Her voice was soft and warm. The gnome next to Alexstrasza gazed between the Life-Binder and Wrathion, her eyes displayed slight discomfort.</p><p>Wrathion scoffed in reply as he shook his head. His crimson eyes were filled with rage as he looked upon the once Aspect of Life. Even Tieria grew uncomfortable and timid by the Black Prince's glare. She swallowed heavily, while continuing to silently and attentively watch the conversation between the dragons:</p><p>"Do not tell me you will attempt to stop me." Gritted the black dragon between his teeth, his fingers began curling into a fist.<br/>Alexstrasza was silent at first. She blinked at the Black Prince, crossing her legs before pulling herself to the edge of her seat.<br/>"Last time one of your kind fought an Old God-"<br/>"You <em>cannot</em> be serious!" He snarled in reply. "You intend on telling me the history of my own kin? As if I do not know of my father and his Aspect of Death legacy?"</p><p>Noticing his distress, Tieria found herself taking a step closer to Wrathion, preparing herself to somehow attempt to comfort him, but she froze upon Alexstrasza's voice echoing strongly throughout the chamber:</p><p>"I am simply expressing my concern!" Defended herself Alexstrasza, graciously she rose from her seat.<br/>"Concern over me? Or concern over yourself?" Inquired Wrathion hostile. Tieria glanced back at Wrathion as she spoke timidly:</p><p>"Wrathion, maybe I should leave-"<br/>"We are both leaving, Tieria." Stated the black dragon bitterly. With that, he turned his back to Alexstrasza and began exiting the circular chamber.</p><p>"Wrathion, I know how eager you are to defend this world." Said the Life-Binder, once again a soft tone. Wrathion ceased from walking, as he listened to her, but he refused to look at her:<br/>"But you <em>have</em> to be cautious of the consequences your actions might have. This world cannot survive another Aspect of Death."</p><p>The audacity Alexstrasza had, of already assuming that Wrathion will follow into his father's footsteps was appalling to the black dragon. He turned to the Dragon Queen, his crimson eyes burning in indignation. The rage Wrathion held for the red dragons was beyond anyone's imagination.</p><p>"What are <em>you</em> doing to this world? <em>Hm</em>?" Accused the Black Prince bitterly while eyeing every single dragon present in the room. "All you do is sit, judging those who are attempting to do good for Azeroth."<br/>"The same good you did by bringing the Burning Legion upon Azeroth?" Accused Alexstrasza quietly.</p><p>"What-?" Muttered Tieria, but her question drowned itself in the voices of the dragons.<br/>"The Life-Binder has a fair argument…" Spoke the female gnome sadly.</p><p>"I am at least making amends for what I've done." Wrathion replied, standing his ground. His jaw clenched at Alexstrasza's words. He wanted to bury the actions of his past, but it seemed the Dragon Queen was eager to dig them out.<br/>"Starting with ending the Old Gods. You may try and stop me or you may start to act like the true defenders of this world – like the Titans tasked you to do." Concluded the Black Prince bitterly.</p><p>Wrathion did not wait to hear any reply from the Life-Binder or the other dragons who were present. Angrily, he stomped away from the balcony, walking downstairs to return to the zeppelin.<br/>Tieria found herself frozen in her spot; she blinked at Alexstrasza, hesitating to plead to the Life-Binder to explain herself regarding her accusation.</p><p>Alexstrasza's golden eyes shined with sorrow as she weakly fell back into her seat; it seemed Wrathion's words had pained her. She lowered her head, her fingers found herself digging into the armrest.<br/>"Shall I stop him, my Queen?" Inquired the chamberlain, to which Alexstrasza shook her head. Then the red dragon turned to Tieria with a glare in his yellow eyes.<br/>"Leave." He ordered aggressively.</p><hr/><p>"Start the machine." Ordered Wrathion bitterly. "We have wasted enough time." Pursued to mumble the Black Prince as he walked inside the captain quarters. Nobody inquired what had occurred inside the Wyrmrest Temple, although their faces displayed confusion.</p><p>Caradin proceeded to do as commanded, once again starting the engines of the zeppelin.</p><p>"Wrathion!" Called out Tieria angrily, she paced with hard steps after the dragon; daringly entering in the chamber and shutting the door.<br/>The Black Prince exhaled in anger and ran his gloved hand through his locks. Despite the conversation with Alexstrasza being short, it has deeply irritated him.<br/>Tieria watched him sighing in anger, her brows knitted together.</p><p>"Wrathion…" Began the templar. "What was the Life-Binder talking about? Of you… <em>Bringing</em> the Burning Legion upon us?"</p><p>There was a long silence. Wrathion licked his lips; anger clouded his handsome features. He has hoped he would have never had to make this confession; and for quite some time, the Black Prince has succeeded in evading it.<br/>But with Alexstrasza spitting out the truth, Wrathion realized he could no longer ignore it.</p><p>Eventually, the black dragon turned to Tieria, and braced himself to express the truth he desired to bury so deeply.</p><p>"I have caused Gul'dan's return… The wicked orc summoned the Burning Legion to Azeroth… And dawned the third invasion." Confessed the Black Prince. His tone indicated neither guilt nor anger; it was simply… Cold.<br/>"Why would you bring back <em>Gul'dan</em>?" Tieria interrogated, unable to understand why would one want to witness the return of the most maleficent orc in history.</p><p>"I anticipated a different outcome… I wanted to have Azeroth prepared for the Legion's invasion – for it was inevitable for its return – by resurrecting certain heroes. Instead…" He found himself unable to finish his sentence.<br/>It sounded so foolish coming out of his mouth, that he decided it was not worth wasting his breath.</p><p>"This is why King Anduin was accusing you of his father's death…." Stated Tieria, the glisten in her eyes vanished as she looked utterly upset at the dragon. "You lied to me. You lied to me in Stormwind City…" Her voice lost its warm tone by the end of the sentence.</p><p>"Tieria-"</p><p>"<em>You</em> started the Burning Legion's invasion?!" Vented the templar while attempting her best not to yell at him, but she could not control the bitterness in her voice. "Do you know the damage you have caused? How many friends I've lost to the Legion? What I've done to put this invasion to a stop? I-" She bit her tongue, unwilling to conclude what she intended to say.</p><p>"What?" Inquired Wrathion, taking a few steps closer to Tieria. Her lips pressed thinly against one another as she continued to stare at him in disbelief.<br/>"You know what? You do not deserve to know the truth." Replied the templar, as she looked at Wrathion unblinking. "Not after this."<br/>"How hypocritical of you, don't you think?" Spat Wrathion while gritting his teeth. "Be honest with me, Tieria; would you have continued to assist me, if you would have known the truth?"</p><p>Tieria's eyes fell to the floor as she weakly shook her head. Her search for an answer brought a long pause between the dragon and the templar.<br/>Eventually, she lifted her gaze back to Wrathion. For a glimpse of a second, her eyes illustrated sadness.</p><p>"I would have at least <em>tried</em> to understand…" She confessed. Soon enough, her angry glare returned. "But you have decided to lie. You assumed I am not worthy of knowing such an important reveal, despite pledging myself to serve you!" She drew in breath as a pause between her sentences. Her cheeks and nose flushed red as one single tear slipped away from her left eye.</p><p>"That's not the truth-"<br/>"You wanted Azeroth to be prepared for the Legion's invasion?" Tieria continued. Rage was filling her and the paladin did not desire any more explanation from the Black Prince. She only wanted to display her anger:<br/>"And you thought of taking the matter in your own hands and <em>"bring back heroes"</em>?" She exhaled, baffled by her own words.</p><p>As she ran her fingers through her hair, Tieria choked up tears. A moment back, she was inches away from Wrathion's lips, giggling and jesting around, while goosebumps were forming on her ivory skin. And now, the templar felt utmost misery, after learning that Wrathion lied to her so easily.<br/>She began questioning what other lies he might have told her.</p><p>"The Alliance and the Horde were not listening to my warnings!" Barked the dragon. His gaze was just as hateful, as when he stood in front of Alexstrasza. "I had to take the matter into my own hands! Because, you pathetic, self-absorbed, incompetent mortals would rather fight each other than save this world!" He bit his tongue, realizing how his anger made him misspeak.</p><p>But it was far too late – Tieria's eyes were filled with tears as she stared at Wrathion is disbelief.</p><p>"Is this what you think of us… <em>Of me</em>?" She muttered quietly.<br/>"No, Tia-"<br/>"Well, you are just as arrogant and malevolent as the rest of your kind, Wrathion…"</p><p>The Black Prince pulled back as his gaze went cold. Hearing those words being said, especially from Tieria, felt like the arrow the Argent Crusade pierced into him again. He watched Tieria's lower lip trembling, while wishing for none of this to be real.<br/>He felt hurt by Tieria's words; as well by the fact that he had betrayed her trust. It was for the first time in his life, that the black dragon was experiencing such an overflow of negative emotions.</p><p>"Tieria…" Breathed the dragon, unsure if he desired to beg for forgiveness or demand forgiveness from her part.<br/>"I…" Exhaled the templar as she took a step back. "I do not want to see you at this moment." With that she exited the private quarters, nearly slamming the door behind her.</p><p>Tieria wiped away her tears and ran towards the lower level of the zeppelin, ignoring everyone's presence. Caradin and Felassan exchanged glances upon seeing her emerging from the dragon's chamber in such distress.<br/>Caradin opened his mouth to call out his friend, but was interrupted by the demon hunter:<br/>"Remain here." Ordered the night elf, as Caradin was the only one who knew how to navigate the zeppelin. "I'll check on her."</p><p>As she found herself seeking solitude, Tiera walked up to the arsenal and entered the modest storage room. She shut the door behind her and took a seat on the wooden crates.<br/>Although she has managed to avoid crying – she occasionally released light sobbing.</p><p>"Tieria?" Came Felassan's deep voice from the other side of the door. "What's going on?"<br/>"Nothing, Felassan!" Replied Tieria while attempting to calm herself. She exhaled while thinking of the simplest and innocent excuse she could pull: "Merely a… Disagreement with Wrathion."</p><p>The demon hunter remained silent by the door. While he was thinking of a way to comfort Tieria, the templar spoke again:<br/>"I will be fine, Felassan." She reassured. "I simply want to be by myself."<br/>She heard Felassan grunting as a nod, and then his footsteps left the door.</p><p>
  <em>"I alone can save you from what is to come."</em>
</p><p>"Felassan?" Addressed the templar through the door. She heard the demon hunter returning to the door. "Did you say something?"<br/>"No." Stated the Illidari simply. "Why?"<br/>"N-nothing." Blabbered Tieria, theorizing that her overflow of emotions were making her unable to think straight. She exhaled while weakly rubbing her forehead:<br/>"Thought I heard something."</p><hr/><p>Wrathion was seated next to the desk; he rested his head on his fist lazily. His eyes gazed upon the map of Northrend but his thoughts were unable to focus on the task at hand.</p><p>He already had an amount of loathing towards Alexstrasza and her dragonflight; however, everything she has said today was only fuel to his hatred. And even worse, he broke Tieria's trust – which affected him more than the black dragon anticipated.<br/>The image of her delicate face drained away from warm expression and instead filled with betrayal, brought disturbance in Wrathion's soul.</p><p>As he remained seated, irritated at what had occurred, he heard the metal door being opened, which only aggravated the dragon's mood. Wrathion opened his mouth to instantly protest, only to be surprised to find himself standing in the presence of Farseer Lorga.</p><p>"Unless you are here to report that we are reaching Storm Peaks then <em>leave</em>." Said the dragon coldly. Lorga's brows drew together, annoyed at Wrathion's rude attitude towards her. She shut the door behind her, making the loud metal sound echo in the entire chamber.</p><p>"No, we're not." Stated Farseer Lorga simply.<br/>"There is nothing else I wish to discuss at this moment, Farseer." Declared Wrathion bitterly, then he turned his head away from her.</p><p>Lorga blinked at him then proceeded to walk towards the Black Prince; on the way she began dragging the first chair she laid her eyes upon and arranged it in front of the dragon. Then she took a seat as she crossed her arms.</p><p>"I would beg to differ." Spoke the Farseer after a long pause. "When the templar, who so <em>dearly</em> adores you, leaves your chamber with distress on her face, one has to think something bad has occurred." Analyzed the orc. Wrathion growled lightly as he ran his fingers through his ebony hair.</p><p>"She does not adore me." Protested Wrathion to which Lorga snorted.<br/>"She may be of a different race, but she is still a woman." Remarked the orc. "I can see the lust in her eyes. Or I used to at least."</p><p>Wrathion sighed at Lorga's commentary. He waved his arms lazily while staring at the shaman with a troubled expression.</p><p>"Why does this interest you?" He inquired antagonistically.<br/>"As I said, something does not seem right." Replied Lorga while sinking in her chair. "And if there is one thing, I learnt through all the battles I've been, and all the allies I've had – is that victory cannot be achieved if there is tension between the team."</p><p>"Fine." He snapped bitterly. "Let's have the entire team detest me, shall we?" Barked the Black Prince rhetorically, his crimson gaze locked into Lorga's. "I, although indirectly, have caused the third Burning Legion invasion to launch prematurely, killing thousands of soldiers and heroes at the Broken Shore assault."</p><p>"I know." Replied Lorga simply.<br/>"You… <em>You know</em>?" Blinked the Black Prince, completely bewildered at her statement. There were only a few souls on Azeroth who knew of the actions Wrathion had committed; and to his knowledge - Lorga was not one of them.</p><p>"I know you took part in rescuing Garrosh Hellscream. And I knew of his intentions of bringing back the old chieftains; which accidentally also brought back Gul'dan."<br/>"How did you find out?" Inquired the dragon.<br/>"I was at Garrosh's trial."</p><p>Wrathion's expression hardened. He recalled the trial which occurred in Pandaria, at the Temple of the White Tiger, right after the Siege of Orgrimmar was brought to an end which ended Garrosh Hellscream's tyranny.</p><p>The Black Prince watched every single defendant and accuser speak against the son of mighty Grom Hellscream. He watched the trial in-between the massive crowd, readying himself to release the Warsong orc from imprisonment before his fate would be decided.<br/>Nonetheless, Wrathion found himself unable to recall if he had ever noticed an orc looking like Lorga present at the trial.</p><p>"I was in the shadows." Explained Lorga upon witnessing the dragon's puzzled expression. "Varok insisted for me to come, although I had no desire to see that absurd Darkmoon parade which was his trial." After a pause to recollect her thoughts, Lorga also said in a heavy tone: "I also spoke to Garrosh when he was imprisoned."</p><p>Wrathion remained silent, his dark brows knitted as he remained dazzled. He leaned in closer to the edge of his seat.<br/>"To think, Varok Saurfang himself asked you to be present on that trial, and given the fact you spoke to Hellscream personally…" Began theorizing Wrathion. "It makes one think that Garrosh Hellscream was not simply Warchief to you."<br/>"No." Breathed Lorga; she reached out to the bone necklace which rested around her neck. "He was not."</p><p>Wrathion's eyes rested upon the necklace Lorga's fingers were touching. It was made out of a simple thread, with multiple animal bones dangling next to each other. The bones were dry and lost their color, indicating that they were quite aged.</p><p>"This isn't about me; this is about you." Said Lorga aggressively, breaking away from her daydreaming.<br/>"There is nothing to talk about here, Farseer." Insisted Wrathion, sinking in his seat. "I believed I took the correct action back then. I attempted to bring redemption to my kin by serving our true purpose: defending the world."</p><p>Lorga was silent as her eyes analyzed Wrathion. The Black Prince was unable to read her expression. It was a mix of pity and disbelief, as well as a tint of compassion.<br/>The Farseer exhaled loudly, sizing up Wrathion before asking:</p><p>"Do you regret what you have done?"<br/>After a long pause, Wrathion found himself stating the truth quite easily:<br/>"<em>Yes</em>."</p><p>"Good." Said the Farseer in a nod. "Then learn from your mistakes and move forward." Suddenly, she rose from her seat. "We have an Old God to kill."<br/>Wrathion found himself chuckling dryly while looking up at the orc.<br/>"For a shaman… You certainly have a more "aggressive" temperament than the rest of your kind." Observed the Black Prince. "I thought your people are supposed to give advice and guide one to the correct path."</p><p>Lorga lifted one of her brows as a grim smile formed on her pale green lips.<br/>"Oh, you want my guidance?" Chortle Lorga gratingly. The grin swiftly disappeared from her lips as her expression turned in stone. "In the end, it is our defiance that redeems us."</p><p>The Farseer did not allow Wrathion to express his opinion on her advice, for she immediately left the chamber. Leaving the dragon to ponder her words in solitude.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Calamity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tieria woke up groaning in aching neck pain.</p><p>As she lazily rose from the uncomfortable hammock, the paladin rubbed her eyes to force her bleary vision to come to its senses.<br/>Once again, for as long as she could remember, Tieria had a dreamless slumber.</p><p>The templar gazed around the lower decks of zeppelin, only to witness emptiness. Not a single soul was nearby, which prompted the templar to ponder if any of her comrades or Blacktalon agents had gotten any rest in the past night.</p><p>Since her argument with Wrathion, from the previous day, Tieria did not leave the lower deck of the zeppelin. She lingered for the remaining of the day in solitude, contemplating everything that has occurred to her since she has met the Black Prince.</p><p>Felassan was the only one who would occasionally check up on her; the demon hunter, as much as Caradin, were concerned for their friend's wellbeing. However, due to being the only one who had the knowledge of how to pilot the zeppelin, the dwarf was unable to break away from commanding the machinery to address her personally.</p><p>Hence, Caradin would regularly send Felassan to talk to Tieria.<br/>And every time, Tieria would simply brush him off. Ceaselessly stating that she is fine.<br/>Truly, there was nothing the templar desired to discuss with Felassan, or Caradin, nor anyone at that matter. After a couple of hourly visits, Felassan finally gave in to Tieria's stubbornness and has ceased to disturb her.</p><p>Swiftly after supper, Tieria rested on one of the hammocks and fell into slumber, until the sun dawned once again in the skies of Northrend.</p><p>Everything that has occurred with the black dragon has deeply affected the templar.<br/>She was well aware Wrathion's statement of <em>"pathetic, self-absorbed and incompetent mortals"</em>, was simple misrepresent, cried out of pure exasperation. Tieria's response, in which she aggrieved Wrathion by comparing him to his corrupted and nefarious predecessors, were also false statements spoken out of anger.</p><p>It was the dragon's decision to conceal the truth from her and blatantly lying to her, which troubled Tieria:<br/>Wrathion was behind the third Burning Legion's invasion upon Azeroth.</p><p>Although the Black Prince claimed that the Burning Legion's return was inevitable, his actions have sped up the dawn of their assault, which has caused so much death and destruction.<br/>The demonic army has slain Azeroth's greatest heroes, honorable men and women, and even delivered annihilation upon many lands of Azeroth, which will take a decade, perhaps even a century, to recover.</p><p>Since she has met Wrathion, the dragon has proven to be desperate to protect Azeroth; a task which was once entrusted to his father, with hope in his heart that the Black Prince would redeem his kin.<br/>Tieria shared the desperate desire to defend the world, hence the templar ardently joined to fight his cause.</p><p>As she analyzed Wrathion's reason for why "he had taken the matter in his own hands" - the paladin, bitterly admitted - she too, has gone to extreme ends to protect Azeroth from the Burning Legion.</p><p>The actions she has committed, much like Wrathion's, have seem to have done further damage rather than good; and it forever tainted Tieria's reputation. And much like the Black Prince - the templar desired to keep it a secret.<br/>It was an action she was well aware was painting her as a hypocrite. However, her anger of being lied to surpassed any common sense she held in her.</p><p>Tieria postulated that there was a certain… <em>Amorous</em> relationship, developing between her and the Black Prince. To learn that he lied to her so easily, made Tieria assume that the dragon simply flirted with her to his liking, without truly caring for her feelings.</p><p>She already felt quite conflicted with her desire of intimacy with the black dragon. Not only due to the possibility of being frowned upon, but also because it was highly unheard of for beings like dragons to copulate with mortal creatures.<br/>Nonetheless, after learning that Wrathion has held such a secret from Tieria, and who knew how many other lies the dragon whispered to the paladin, Tieria felt further conflicted.</p><p>"I need more time to cool off." Exhaled Tieria, explaining to herself why she still felt angered towards Wrathion.</p><p>She pulled away her fur cover and picked up her plate armor to once again dress up in it.<br/>As she was bringing herself in a decent appearance, Tieria theorized that in time, she will forgive the dragon. And she prayed to the Light that he would forgive her for her misspoke.</p><p>Tieria sighed heavily while brushing her hair with her fingers and bringing her locks up into a high ponytail as usually.<br/>After inhaling deeply to compose herself, the templar sheathed her longsword on her back and began taking the upper stairs.</p><p>Farseer Lorga was the first person Tieria encountered as soon as she reached the upper decks. The orc was sitting on the wooden stairs which lead to a slightly higher platform where the navigation wheel was situated.<br/>The shaman had her fur cloak wrapped tightly around herself, and small fog would leave her lips at every exhale. A mug of dark, hot liquid was being held in her hands.</p><p>Tieria suddenly felt a rush of cold which made her shiver. Northrend was known for its frozen atmosphere but this particular chill was entering her very bones.<br/>As she gazed around the surroundings, she saw nothing but dark clouds and silhouette of tall mountains - they had finally reached Storm Peaks.</p><p>As snowflakes began sinking on her head and shoulders, Tieria tightened her silver cape around her.<br/>The Farseer did not speak to Tieria upon seeing the templar approach her. The orc simply nodded and Tieria returned her mute greeting; then, she proceeded to walk towards the upper platform.</p><p>There, she found Caradin, Felassan and Calthaire.</p><p>The Blacktalon night elf was seated at the desk which was next to the zeppelin's steering wheel. Much like Farseer Lorga, Calthaire was attempting the best by fighting off the freezing weather by wearing layers of cloaks and having a mug hot beverage wrapped around her gloved fingers.</p><p>Caradin was piloting the zeppelin. The poor dwarf was pale and his slightly red eyes indicated restlessness. Snowflakes were making home atop his blonde beard and bushy eyebrows, as he trembled from cold.<br/>Protective goggles, which he wore to shield his eyes from the strong wind, were resting on the top of his head. The green-tinted glass of those goggles were completely frozen.</p><p>Felassan seemed to be the only person who was hardly affected by the cold atmosphere. Much like everyone else, the demon hunter had a thick cloak wrapped around his muscled shoulders, but he didn't shiver nor had a runny nose. He laid his back against the handrail, resting in a quite nonchalant pose.<br/>The rest of the Blacktalon agents were also attempting their best to shield away from the unforgiving cold.</p><p>Tieria could not help but notice that there was no sign of Wrathion; perhaps the dragon was in the captain's quarter.<br/>And she had to admit – she felt slightly relieved at that fact.</p><p>"'ey, lassie." Greeted Caradin with a smile on his chapped lips. "How ye feelin'?"<br/>Tieria pressed her lips against each other as she gave a hesitant nod.<br/>"I'm fine, Caradin." Replied Tieria as she surveyed the freezing dwarf.</p><p>"Ye sure?" Insisted Caradin softly, his blue eyes were filled with doubt as he looked at his friend. "Felassan has told me that ye argued with the dragon-"<br/>"I'm fine, Caradin." Repeated Tieria in a more aggressive tone.</p><p>She licked her dry lips, then she forced a smile in order to ease the tension between her and Caradin. The dwarf swiftly understood her passive-aggressive answer, and simply nodded as he resumed his gaze upon the horizon.</p><p>Tieria watched as Farseer Lorga approached the small group who stood by the steering wheel. The orc gently placed her empty mug on the desk Calthaire was seated next to, then she picked up the spyglass which was covered in snow.<br/>Calthaire, Felassan and Tieria silently watched as she shook it agitatedly to free the object from the sleet and brought it up to her left eye.<br/>Soon enough, the door to the captain's quarter was heard being opened and closed. Tieria inhaled deeply upon hearing Wrathion's footsteps approaching everyone.</p><p>The color from his skin was drained and his crimson eyes shined with exhaustion. Due to the constant wind, his curled locks were brought together in a low ponytail.<br/>He walked up the stairs to reach the navigation platform, and haltingly approached Tieria and everyone else.</p><p>As soon as their eyes were locked into each other's, Tieria pressed her lips thinly against each other before speaking:<br/>"Let us simply… Focus on the task at hand." Pleaded the templar coldly as her face went blank. Wrathion found himself nodding along, without breathing a single word to her.</p><p>"We have crossed Storm Peaks, we should reach its edge by nightfall." Observed Farseer Lorga as she examined their horizon through a spyglass. She glanced at Wrathion, who was standing shoulder to shoulder with her, then she handed him the spyglass.</p><p>The dragon immediately brought it up to his right eye to witness the snowy mountains of Storm Peaks appearing closer to them. Silently, he analyzed the view, although most of it was greatly blurred by the dark clouds and heavy snowflakes flying in every direction.</p><p>"What is our strategy once we reach there?" Inquired the orc as she looked at Wrathion.<br/>"The Forge will be heavily fortified; there is no doubt in that." Acknowledged the Black Prince; despite him ceasing to gaze through the spyglass, his eyes were still set on the horizon.</p><p>His voice was in a lower tone than ordinarily; and it was uncertain if it was the cold or his tiredness which affected his speech.<br/>The Black Prince drew in a heavy inhale; the cold air formed goosebumps on his ebony skin and he found himself desiring to lay next to a cozy and warm fire.</p><p>Albeit it was a fact rarely spoken about, dragons did belong to the reptile species - who were cold blooded and had a difficulty to adapt to cold weather; unlike their proto-drake kin.<br/>The feral, long-forgotten predecessors of the dragon species, actually belonged in the cold environment.</p><p>However, each type of dragon had a different tolerance of such a climate. Alexstrasza and her kin, alongside blue dragons, were far more well adapted to endure the icy lands. Black dragons, bronze dragons and the green dragons, were far less sustainable; and have always made forests, deserts or even lava mountains their home.</p><p>"The Forge used to be guarded by Sjonnir the Ironshaper." Declared Farseer Lorga as she crossed her arms. "But he was killed in the assault upon Ulduar… Another war against an Old God; Yogg-Saron." She took a pause, gently running her thumb across the line of her lower lip as she fell in her own thoughts:<br/>"I am unsure who commands it now."<br/>"Are there chances for the Forge to be undefended?" Inquired Felassan, who still relied loosely upon the handrail. Lorga shrugged at the demon hunter's question.</p><p>"The Titans do not leave their toys without ensuring an ancient army is conserving them." Stated the shaman slightly aggressively as she scrunched up her face. "Even if there may not be a guardian of the Forge, there are certain some wardens inside its chambers."<br/>"Either way, we have to be wary." Concluded Wrathion dryly. "My agents will remain at the entrance while the five of us find our way to the Forge of Wills. Once we locate the machinery itself and activate it - we will immediately take our leave to the Ebon Rest and leave my Blacktalon to defend the Forge."</p><p>The dragon eyed everyone present as he spoke, his gaze lingered slightly longer upon Tieria. Then, as he handed the spyglass back to Lorga, the Black Prince spoke once more:<br/>"Be prepared for anything. We do not know what lingers inside." He warned grimly.</p><p>"It's still quite a ride 'til the very end of Storm Peaks." Declared Caradin while pointing on the map with his index finger, indicating the current location their zeppelin flew above.<br/>The position he was pointing at, was showing that they had barely crossed the border and had quite some ground to cover.</p><p>Caradin's words felt as an order for everyone to carry on with their duties. Which prompted the small gathering to disband and spread out throughout the upper deck.<br/>Tieria found herself frozen in place. She lifted her gaze at Wrathion who still stood across from her. There was an unsettling silence between them.</p><p>The templar was unable to read his hardened expression, nor did she know what to say to the dragon.<br/>In the end, Tieria simply walked away, without breathing a single word to the Black Prince and proceeded to return to the lower decks.</p><p>"Calthaire." Called out the Black Prince. The night elf swiftly rose upon her master addressing her. Wrathion motioned with his head for Calthaire to follow him as they retreated to the captain's quarters.</p><hr/><p>For the next hours, the zeppelin flew smoothly despite the snowstorm gradually becoming heavier.</p><p>"Here you go." Said Tieria warmly as she brought a wooden tray closer to Caradin, which had a couple of hot buns filled with boar meat laid down.<br/>"Oof!" Exhaled Caradin after he grabbed a bun. He was excited to feel the warm piece of food in his hand. "How did ye heat 'em up?"</p><p>"Farseer Lorga managed to bring out a small file elemental to heat up our meals." Smiled Tieria; after eating a warm meal, the templar felt in better spirits.<br/>Caradin nodded in approval as he was already too busy loudly chewing the bun to reply with words.</p><p>Tieria glanced down to the main deck on the zeppelin, watching the Blacktalon agents warming up the rest of the food in the pan over the small spark of fire. She caught the glimpse of Calthaire, taking the leisure of savoring the hot bun as well but Wrathion was again nowhere to be seen.</p><p>The templar could not help but wonder if the dragon intended on joining everyone for a meal, or if he was planning on residing in the captain's quarters until they have reached their destination.<br/>She was also inquiring if he had eaten yet; simply because she was upset at his actions, did not mean Tieria would not grow worried of his well-being.</p><p>Suddenly there was a loud sound coming from the engine which was right at the edge of the zeppelin. The sound of the motor running emitted an unusual vibration, which was too difficult to ignore. It pursued to ring noisily, causing everyone to cease from whatever they were doing.</p><p>"What was that?" Addressed Farseer Lorga while gazing around the zeppelin in hope to discover the object behind that sound.<br/>"Uuh… The snowstorm might cause some disturbance within the engine." Explained Caradin as he turned his head to view the engine.</p><p>As the wind grew louder, the wooden body of the zeppelin began to resonate a cracking sound. In a blink of an eye, some began realizing that the zeppelin was no longer heading horizontally. But instead <em>vertically</em>... And <em>according to its gravity</em>.</p><p>"Caradin…" Addressed Tieria who was gazing down below their zeppelin to witness the ground gradually becoming more clearer before her. "Are we supposed to lower?"</p><p>Panicked, Caradin began pulling on a lever which elevated the zeppelin, but to no use. The flying machinery kept going lower and lower; gradually at a greater speed. It brought panic to everyone abroad as they realized that they were about to crash.<br/>"Get the parachutes!" Exclaimed one of the Blacktalon agents. Caradin helplessly attempted to bring the zeppelin to order but to no use. Suddenly, its engine was no longer emitting any sort of sound, which signaled that it went completely out of order. The zeppelin ceased from functioning.</p><p>"We're fallin-!" Tieria yelled as the zeppelin began turning to the side, causing the templar to fall down and slide down. To her luck, Felassan reacted quickly and grabbed her by the wrist, saving the paladin from the terrible fall. She looked up to witness the demon hunter having his demonic wings spreading out of his shoulder blades.</p><p>Some Blacktalon agents were already hanging in the air with their parachutes opened, while those who were still on the deck were attempting to hold themselves against anything from the zeppelin; no matter how skilled Wrathion's agents were - there were still afraid - and did not attempt to hide that fear as they were screaming their lungs crates, barrels, all of their supplies began falling down into the hard and cold grounds of Storm Peaks.</p><p>All of a sudden, a loud noise of wood breaking came from the captain's quarters followed by a loud growl.<br/>Wrathion emerged from his chamber in his dragon form. He flew around the zeppelin, his eyes widened, his wings were trashing agitatedly as he was witnessing the machinery falling from the sky.</p><p>Just when everything seemed to come to an end, the wind whistled loudly and a small whirlwind enveloped the zeppelin alongside its passenger. Suddenly, they were no longer falling rapidly to their deaths, instead everyone was floating.</p><p>The wind seemed to be too weak to affect Wrathion, given that the dragon still flew with the help of his wings. He gradually began lowering himself alongside everyone else, while they were guided by this unnatural whirling.<br/>There was only one explanation for this, and Wrathion knew what or more like, <em>who</em> that particular reason was.</p><p>Farseer Lorga stood serene in the air; her face was in a meditative state while she was communing with the winds. Her arms were up in the air, waving around in a tranquil dance as she led everyone safely to the ground.<br/>Nobody knew for how long they were falling; but in a matter of time, everyone who was aboard the zeppelin alongside with the machinery itself, were resting upon the snowy ground.</p><p>"What has happened?" Fumed Wrathion agitated while still in his dragon form. He glanced around the zeppelin which was laid down on its side; snow began adjusting itself on the machinery.</p><p>His agents were fixated on aiding each other in standing up from the heavy snow or analyzing their surroundings. The Black Prince then directed his attention upon Farseer Lorga who was still waving her arms as she was finishing channeling the wind which granted a safe landing to his followers.</p><p>"It seemed to have been a malfunction." Stated Caradin between heavy breaths while rapidly wiping snow off his beard with both of his hands.<br/>"Malfunction?!" Repeated Calthaire in disbelief; she believed Caradin was sugarcoating his words. "Having a loud engine is a malfunction; <em>this</em> is a <em>disaster!</em>" She stated while pointing at the snow-covered zeppelin.</p><p>"The blizzard might have damaged the machine." Theorized Farseer while walking towards Wrathion. "It might also be the fact that we have been journeying without a hiatus since Wyrmrest Temple."<br/>Wrathion could not help but twitch at the mention of Alexstrasza's temple. He resumed his half-elven form while staring at the collapsed zeppelin.</p><p>"Can you fix it, Caradin?" Asked the Black Prince in a grunt. His brows were snapped together and his nose wrinkled.<br/>The dwarf gave a glance at their aerial ship and gave a shrug while exhaling loudly.<br/>"I can try." Replied the dwarf hesitantly. "Though, it might be hard in the freakin' snowstorm."</p><p>"How far is the location of the Forge?" Came Felassan's voice from behind. Wrathion and Lorga turned to witness the demon hunter alongside Tieria, approaching them.<br/>"Perhaps we can carry on on foot?" Added the Illidari.</p><p>Farseer Lorga swiftly extended her arm, pointing in the northern direction. Far in the distance, beyond the snowy mountains and hills, silhouettes of buildings were seen.<br/>"You see those blurry constructions?" Asked Lorga slightly aggressively. "The Forge of Wills lies inside one of them. If we travel on foot, we'll be blocks of ice before we even reach them."</p><p>Felassan pressed his violet lips against each other and gave a nod, ultimately agreeing that his suggestion was ludicrous.<br/>Wrathion took in a deep breath, feeling heat of anger develop inside of him. The situation he has ended up in was pressing on the dragon's nerves.</p><p>"We cannot simply linger here awhile Caradin fixes the zeppelin." Broke the silence Tieria, who crossed her arms and pulled the cloak as tight as possible around her body to shield herself from the unforgiving cold.<br/>"Wasn't there a goblin encampment in Storm Peaks?" Intervened a Blacktalon agent who has overheard the conversation between the Black Prince and his champions. His entire face was wrapped around in his scarf, causing his words to sound obscure.</p><p>Caradin grunted at his question as he shook his head.<br/>"We crossed that one long time ago." Mumbled the dwarf as he sat down on a crate.</p><p>As everyone stood silently, contemplating their next move. Lorga once again extended her arms widely while glancing at the one lantern which miraculously has managed to still have a lit fire inside of it.<br/>She opened her palm and drew in the air as her eyes gently closed. With a tender yet swift hand maneuver, she pulled out the small spark of fire out of the lantern.</p><p>Once the burning fire rested in her palm, Lorga raised her arm in the air as if she threw the spark into the sky. Her inexplicable action has caused the flame to increase in size; and soon enough, a large, everlasting fire elemental with two arms stood present.</p><p>Every Blacktalon agent released a sigh of relief as the air around them grew warmer. Caradin, astounded by what he witnessed, found himself clapping his hands as he cheered loudly.<br/>Lorga immediately stepped closer to the fire elemental to soak in its heat.<br/>Even Wrathion smiled gratefully at the flame creature, and gazed proudly at the Farseer.</p><p>"It will do its best to remain lit." Began the orc, her honey-colored eyes fixated on the elemental. "But I am afraid in time, the blizzard will eventually extinguish it." She turned to Wrathion; determination was drawn on her face as she said: "We need to find shelter."<br/>Wrathion stood silently, nonetheless he gave a nod to Lorga.</p><p>"You are right." Stated the Black Prince quietly. "We can analyze our next step once we are safe from the snowstorm-" Wrathion could not finish his thought as he heard Tieria calling out to gain everyone's attention.<br/>The templar stood slightly further from where the entire group was, with the spyglass in her hands.</p><p>"There is a cave!" Reported Tieria while walking in hasting steps to reunite with everyone. As soon as she stood next to Wrathion, she handed the spyglass to the dragon and pointed the direction where to look while he brought it up to his eye.<br/>"Northeast." Explained the paladin, already out of breath from running only a few paces through the blizzard. "Up the hill."</p><p>Wrathion guided the spyglass as per Tieria's instruction; to their luck, there was indeed a cave a couple of miles further from their location.<br/>A small smirk appeared on Wrathion's lips and he gazed down upon Tieria.<br/>Her pale face brightened and she returned the smile but then, she swiftly tore her eyes away from the Black Prince, which prompted Wrathion's smirk to vanish as well.</p><p>"We will have to search it first." Analyzed the dragon. "To ensure there are no wild beings claiming it."<br/>"We should split up." Suggested Felassan, already grabbing both of his warglaives in his hands.</p><p>Wrathion nodded at the demon hunter; traveling in a few numbers would be much easier. And albeit, the zeppelin was broken, they did not intend to abandon it just yet; hence, it was required for some to stand behind.</p><p>The Black Prince redirected his gaze on Lorga.<br/>"Farseer, I want you and Felassan to accompany me." Said Wrathion to which the Farseer simply nodded.</p><p>"Ye're gonna need ta' leave a trail to find yer way back ta us." Murmured Caradin while attempting to scrape away the ice off his goggles with a small dagger.<br/>"I'll throw stones every so often after us." Suggested Lorga. Nobody protested the shaman's proposition.</p><p>"Alright!" Exclaimed Caradin. Then he swiftly jumped off the crate. "Tia, lass." He addressed Tieria to approach him with a movement of his fingers: "Let us see if we can fix this goblin machinery. I'll need yer help."</p><p>Tieria silently agreed to aid the dwarf, it seemed she had no desire to join Wrathion in searching inside the cave alongside Felassan and Lorga.<br/>The templar swiftly looked at Wrathion before proceeding to walk closer to the zeppelin.</p><p>Wrathion's gaze lingered upon Tieria as he descended deeply into his own thoughts. Shackled by his mind, the Black Prince failed to hear Felassan addressing him. It took the demon hunter two or three attempts until Wrathion reacted to Felassan's words</p><p>"Dragon!" Called the demon hunter once more. "Do you think you can fly against the wind?"</p><p>Wrathion stood silent at first, blinking rapidly while soaking in the Illidari's question. With a tint of displeasure in his crimson eyes, he gave an answer:<br/>"Ordinarily… I <em>loathe</em> mortals asking for my kind to serve them as mounts." Spoke the Black Prince as his face contorted. "Nonetheless, I suppose I can make an exception."</p><p>As if they read Wrathion's mind, both Lorga and Felassan took a step behind and watched as Wrathion once more transformed into the large, black-scaled dragon.<br/>Dark smoke began enveloping his body as his skin turned into ebon scale, horns began growing out of his head, a pair of charcoal wings expanded out of his back; his entire face as well as body, altered into his dragon physique.</p><p>Wrathion opened his large wings and released a roar, causing some of the snow from the ground to be blown away.<br/>"Be safe, Master." Murmured Calthaire while looking at Wrathion. The dragon's nostrils flared in reply, as he waited for Felassan and Lorga to climb on his back and adjust themselves.</p><p>Tieria glanced one final time, watching as Wrathion lifted off in the air and began flying towards the northeast.</p><hr/><p>The winds of Storm Peaks were blowing strongly against Wrathion's ebon wings, nonetheless, they were no match to the black dragon's strength. Wrathion relentlessly flew through the icy storm despite aching from the cold.<br/>In a short matter of time, the Black Prince and his two companions were at the entrance of the cave Tieria had discovered.</p><p>At the first glance, the cave seemed empty, not a single critter seemed to inhabit the area. Wrathion extended his hand as he casted a small spark of dragon fire in his gloved hand, readying himself to explore the cave deeper.</p><p>He took the first step and Lorga and Felassan instantly followed the Black Prince.</p><p>Their footsteps were echoing as they paced deeper and deeper through the tunnel.<br/>Neither of them exchanged a single word between each other; as they were concentrating on analyzing the surroundings of what would be their temporary sanctuary. Snow resting upon rocks and icicles dangling from above was everything the cave retained.</p><p>Everyone ceased from walking as soon as an unusual sound echoed. Felassan realized that it was his foot which caused the echo; the demon hunter gazed down to realize he had stepped upon frozen bones. Despite being slightly alarmed, Felassan remained silent, as well as Lorga and Wrathion. The Farseer took a step closer to the demon hunter to examine the cartilage.</p><p>The bone seemed to belong to a human, however, its size was beyond for an average human, which induced the Farseer theorize that it must have belonged to a vrykul; the race of fearsome half-giant warriors that lived mostly in the Northrend.</p><p>Lorga lifted her eyes to Felassan and Wrathion as she quietly unsheathed her axes.<br/>"Stay on alert." Whispered the orc, to which the demon hunter and the dragon nodded. Felassan proceeded to unsheathe his weapons just as Lorga, before once again resuming to delve deeper into the cave.</p><p>Gradually, the further they walked, more broken bones and skulls were scattered on every side of the tunnel. Wrathion also noticed white and beige strands of fur lying on the ground or either stuck on icicles.</p><p>One did not have to be a skilled hunter to realize that an yeti resided in this cave. The large, furry humanoid animals usually lived in or near caves, those living in colder regions were known to also breathe ice breath.<br/>These creatures ordinarily would feast on animals such as goats, mammoths or yaks; nonetheless, very often, mortals who attempted to hunt down an yeti would end up to become its meal instead.</p><p>Lorga felt them reaching the end of the tunnel, however the noise of a beast growling reassured her suspicion. The yeti's nest was close enough.</p><p>What alarmed the dragon and his companions was a humanoid cry coming from the end of a tunnel. The cry sounded of a male. Upon realizing that there might be another manlike being inside the cave, Felassan began racing towards the end, leaving Lorga and Wrathion with no choice but to run after him.</p><p>The end of the cave was in a circular shape, with icicles and snow covering its every side as before. As anticipated, a large, white and beige yeti was sitting in the middle of the so-called 'room'. In front of it, a peculiar figure was cowering at the yeti's might.</p><p>It was indeed a male. It was a dwarf, with thick black hair which rested on his back and a bushy beard which was braided in two braids. The peculiar part of this dwarf was his skin color was icy-blue and seemed to have a slightly harder texture; with distinctive runes tattooed on his face.<br/>Nonetheless, neither Wrathion nor his companions lingered to analyze who and what was standing in front of them.</p><p>Felassan pursued to charge towards the yeti while Lorga began channeling thunder in her hands. Wrathion leaped in front and pushed the dwarf away from the yeti.<br/>The poor dwarf was too overwhelmed to realize what was occurring. He pursued to scream in fear and confusion while watching the demon hunter pierce the tip of his warglaive into the yeti's stomach and dragging it to the side, slicing the beast's abdomen.</p><p>As the yeti roared in pain, he attempted to slap Felassan with his massive hand but before he could realize, thunder striked through his entire body, paralyzing and burning him. Without even having the time to put up a fight, the beast fell unto the cold ground lifelessly. It's heavy body caused the ground to lightly shake and a couple of icicles to break down.</p><p>The dwarf was attempting to control his breath at a regular pace, he was sitting down, ignoring that the snow was wetting his leather breeches. He pursued to breathe loudly with his mouth open as he gazed upon his three saviors.</p><p>"By the ancestors!" Cried out the dwarf. "Who are ye? Where did ye come from?" His head kept turning from left to right as he watched Farseer Lorga and Felassan approach him. Then his gaze rested upon Wrathion who stood in front of him.</p><p>"I believe a <em>'thank you'</em> is in order." Said the Black Prince teasingly while dusting some of the snow off his arm. The dwarf whistled while rubbing his eyes as if he did not trust the sight he had just witnessed.<br/>"Ye…" He nodded. "Thank ye. I would have been in the yeti's stomach if ye didn't show up when ye did."<br/>"Who are you?" Inquired Farseer Lorga. "Are there more of you somewhere around here?"<br/><br/>The dwarf rose on his feet and began wiping snow off his bottom and legs. He ran his hand through his nostrils, wiping away his snot before speaking:<br/>"Fjorlin Icebellow, at yer service." He said as he bowed. "Son of Velog Icebellow, leader of the Frostborne."<br/><br/>"Frostborne?" Repeat Wrathion while attempting to remember from where has he heard or read the particular name.<br/>"They are natives of this land." stated Lorga as she addressed to Wrathion. "They also owe allegiance to the Alliance." She said bitterly.<br/><br/>"Well…" Intervened Fjorlin while scratching his head. "More like, we're friends with the Explorers' League. We hardly involve ourselves in the politics of the Alliance. We simply stand alongside our brothers and sisters from Ironforge."<br/>Then swiftly, Fjorlin waved his arms in the air and interrupted Wrathion, who was about to speak:<br/>"None of this is important! Yer saved me life. Me father will be grateful, as well as me clan."</p><p>A smile suddenly appeared on Wrathion's lips upon hearing the Frostborne dwarf's words. Although the Black Prince was curious how a single dwarf found his way inside this cave, with no weapon or supplies, especially given the fact that he claimed to be the son of the leader of his people, the dragon sought an opportunity which he believed fate has brought to him.</p><p>"Can we expect a reward as a token of your gratitude?" Inquired the Black Prince alluringly. Fjorlin blinked but hastily nodded his head.<br/>"Aye."</p><p>The Black Prince and his companions exchanged looks. Both Felassan and Lorga were aware of Wrathion's intentions and the demon hunter and the orc gave a nod of approval of the dragon. However, Lorga motioned her head to the side, signaling Wrathion and Felassan to walk slightly further, to have her words to be unheard by the Frostborne dwarf.</p><p>"Given the fact that he is the son of the leader." Began Lorga in a whisper. "We should demand to be allowed to stay in their camp."<br/>"That is my intention." Replied Wrathion, also in a whisper. "I believe we can even convince them to aid us in carrying our zeppelin to their garrison, and aid us in fixing it. If they truly reside in such a harsh environment they might have some peculiar traveling devices which could hoist our zeppelin."</p><p>"Shouldn't we first return to the rest of the group?" Intervened Felssan. Wrathion took a pause in thinking the best strategy.<br/>"First, we talk to the Frostborne leader and explain our situation. For all we know, they might have even for knowledge of the Forge of Wills." Replied Wrathion as he began to stroke his goatee.</p><p>His crimson eyes lingered upon Fjorlin who patiently and quietly waited for the Black Prince to discuss with his comrades.<br/>"Then we plea to allow our group to rest in their encampment until we are able to pursue our journey." Concluded the dragon.</p><p>Felassan nodded, agreeing that with the Black Prince. Returning to their zeppelin crash and announcing to their comrades that they might have a solution for their problem seemed aimless. He would rather return to Tieria and everyone else with good news rather than a "<em>maybe</em>."</p><p>"Fjorlin!" Addressed Wrathion confidently. "Take us to your people!</p><hr/><p>Fjorlin directed Wrathion to fly above the mountains. The snowstorm was relentless and although the dragon evaded to confess – he was grown weary. But given that there was a possibility of a secure and warm shelter not so far from their crash, the Black Prince fought boldly through the blizzard.</p><p>As she promised - Lorga would break away rocks from hills and mountains they were passing, and tossed them into the ground, forming a snake-like path behind them. They could only hope that the unending snow would not entirely cover her trail.<br/>As they glided through the skies, Fjorlin has confessed how he winded up in that particular horrific position when Wrathion and his companions found him.</p><p>Their bastion, Frosthold has been recently raided by ice vrykul which inhabited the top of the mountains. Although the Frostborne have managed to defend their home, the savage vrykul have succeeded in capturing some of the warriors, including the only child of the leader.</p><p>The taken warriors have given their lives to free Fjorlin from the vrykul cages, and the poor dwarf attempted to find his way back home with nothing but a sword.<br/>The Frostborne dwarf also stated that it was highly likely that his father had already sent a searching party for him.</p><p>"There! Down on that mountain!" Jabbered Fjorlin upon the sight of a circular town, filled with nothing but metal construction, it was lying atop the mountain Wrathion was approaching. The black dragon gradually began lowering himself, and gracefully landed right at the gates of Frosthold.</p><p>The two guards, who were stationed at the entrance were obviously alarmed at the sight of Wrathion. They unseathed their cobalt maces and readied themselves to charge towards the winged beast; however, they were interrupted by Fjorlin yelling in protest.<br/>"Nay nay! Objected the Frostborne dwarf as he jumped off Wrathion as quickly as he could and ran towards the two guards. He waved his hands in front of them as he spoke: "They bring no harm!"</p><p>"Fjorlin?" Exclaimed one of the guards. Much like Fjorlin, the two male dwarfs had nondescript runes on their faces and their skin was in the same blue tint. Their eyes widened at the sight of the fellow Frostborne.<br/>"Yer father will be happy to' hear yer back!" Exclaimed one of the guards. Fjorlin nodded in reply while a large smile decorated his face upon hearing the mention of his father.<br/>"Come, come dear friends!" Beamed Fjorlin. He waved for Wrathion and the rest to follow him beyond the gates and enter Frosthold.</p><p>As soon as Wrathion and his companions crossed on the grounds of the Frostborn; hushing and murmurs were heard on every side. Their mannerism and expression did not indicate hostility in fact the Frostborn seemed… <em>Curious</em> of the new arrivals. It seemed that these icy dwarves were not used to strangers, but nonetheless – they welcomed them.</p><p>Frosthold, despite being the main stronghold of the Frostborne, was relatively small. Afterall, not anyone could make a life in such a cruel and icy place such as Storm Peaks. Every single building was constructed inside a burrow, and there were more fire braziers of various sizes and shapes than houses.</p><p>Fjorlin led them to what was a distinctly a garrison, given its large magnitude and the amount of guards being stationed. Every single one of them cheered upon the sight of Fjorlin; and the young Frostborne dwarf stopped by each other to shake their hand.</p><p>They finally reached what one would call the throne room, or the main hall. A large fireplace was built as tall as a wall; in the center of it, laid a long table with wooden chairs which were decorated with wolf fur. At the end of the desk, was situated an even bigger chair, implying it belonged to a leader.</p><p>On that seat, a Frostborne dwarf was settled. He wore a long grey robe with a thin, silver belt decorating the waist. Much like the rest of them - his skin was icy blue and runes adorned his wrinkled face. Locks of silver hairs were visible in his black beard and head.<br/>His black eyes glared upon those who had just walked in the main hall, but upon the sight of Fjorlin, the dwarf jumped out of his head as he shouted in joy.</p><p>"Me boy!" Exclaimed who seemed to be the leader of the Frostborn; he ran towards Fjorlin to give him a warm embrace. "I thought I lost ye!" Sniffled the elder dwarf.<br/>Fjorlin released a sob as well as both of the dwarves stood locked in their grasp.</p><p>After a long and weeping reunion, Fjorlin pulled away and smiled at his father.<br/>"Thank these outsiders for rescuing me." Declared Fjorlin while extending his arm at Wrathion and his companions. Fjorlin's father seized up the Black Prince, as well as Lorga and Felassan. He threw his arms in the air and leaped to even embrace Wrathion.</p><p>"Thank ye! Thank ye!" Repeated the dwarf, tears of joy were streaming down his pale-blue cheeks. Wrathion, while being taken by surprise by the sudden (and what he thought was unnecessary) hug, gave a modest smile to the Frostborne dwarf.<br/>"Name's Velog Icebellow!" Continued to speak the well dressed dwarf. "And I cannot express me gratitude for rescuing Fjorlin."<br/>Wrathion nodded, acknowledging Velog's gratefulness.</p><p>Then he turned when his ears twitched upon hearing a small snarl coming from behind; the Black Prince noticed Farseer Lorga smirking faintly, amused by how uncomfortable the dragon was after the dwarf hugged him. He shot a small glare to the orc before turning back to Velog.</p><p>"Please, come by the hearth and share a meal with me." Pleaded Velog humbly. "We rarely get strangers around here."<br/>"We thank you for your warm hospitality…" Began Wrathion politely. "But in truth, we are on a quest, and we require your aid."</p><p>The dwarf stood silent, blinking while untangling Wrathion's words. In a mere second, he threw his arms on the air once more and said with confidence:<br/>"Anythin' for the saver of me only child!"</p><hr/><p>"Hold the lantern higher." Ordered Caradin grumpily while glancing upon the already-frozen engine of the zeppelin. Tieria groaned in small protest as she redirected the lantern she held in her hand as Caradin commanded.</p><p>It has been perhaps around an hour, or more, since Wrathion took off with Felassan and Farseer Lorga to explore the cave. The blizzard has only gotten worse, and the fact that there has been not a single sign of them returning brought a small panic to Tieria.<br/>From the time of their departure, Caradin attempted to repair the zeppelin as he promised; however, it was futile. The ice has completely interrupted the engine from functioning and it seemed nearly<br/>impossible for it to be mended in the state they were in.</p><p>"Proto-drakes!" yelled one of the Blacktalon agents in dread and pointed in the sky. Tieria and Caradin turned their heads to the sky to witness that there were indeed blue proto-drakes flying into their directions. Many began readying their weapon to put a stance against the winged beasts but they ceased from commencing the battle as Wrathion appeared flying alongside them.</p><p>It obviously brought confusion among everyone, but also - relief - seeing their leader returning to them.</p><p>"What the hell did he do now?" Grumbled Caradin as he watched the proto-drakes, alongside Wrathion, landing in front of them. Tieria did not hear her friend's query, as she was already rushing ahead towards the proto-drakes.</p><p>Frostborne dwarves began ascending from the drakes one by one. Dressed in heavy armor and carrying long wooden planks. Farseer Lorga and Felassan dismounted Wrathion, and soon enough the dragon returned into his half-elven form.</p><p>"What in the-?" Snapped Caradin upon witnessing Wrathion approaching with the crowd of Frostborne dwarves behind him. "Yer found an army back in that cave?!"<br/>Caradin's words made Wrathion chuckle lightly, his smug smirk returned on his lips. Fjorlin emerged in front of the Black Prince. The young Frostborne dwarf brightened upon the sight of Caradin.<br/>"Greetings brother from another mother!" Said Fjorlin while waving at Caradin. Caradin blinked confused but nonetheless, he saluted Fjorlin and the rest of the Frostborne.</p><p>Wrathion's eyes fixated upon Tieria who began approaching him, but soon enough, the templar walked to the side to stand before Felassan.<br/>The Black Prince watched as Tieria asked the demon hunter what was occurring instead of him. He felt a muscle tightening in his jaw, and an unusual scorching feeling was creeping up inside his chest.</p><p>The dragon could not understand what was provoking this turbulence. He continued to observe the exchange between her and the Illidari. Tieria reached out with both of her palms to cup Felassan's cheeks, examining if he had suffered any minor injuries.</p><p>The distressing sensation was returning to the dragon while his gaze lingered upon the templar and the Illidari. As if... The Black Prince felt <em>jealousy</em> upon witnessing Tieria tending to Felassan.<br/>He exhaled sharply and tore his gaze away from them. He decided to focus on his agents.</p><p>"These are the Frostborne." Began Wrathion addressing his agents with the entire strength he had in his voice. "Natives of Storm Peaks. They are providing shelter and aiding us in repairing the zeppelin."<br/>He paused then once again turned to his right side to see that Tieria was no longer discussing with Felassan, instead she had her attention towards the dragon. Wrathion took in a deep breath before giving out the order:<br/>"The dwarves have brought material for us to create a platform large enough to place the zeppelin on! We will need everyone to aid in dragging the machinery to the planks and then tying it around these proto-drakes. Let us not waste anymore time. Get to work!"</p><hr/><p>The Frostborne have managed to carry the zeppelin with the help of their proto-drakes to Frosthold. It was a challenging task, but since these dwarves as well as the drakes, were adapted to the harsh environment of Storm Peaks - to them this was an ordinary journey through the mountains.</p><p>Each of the Blacktalon agents and Wrathion's champion also rode the proto-drakes to Frostborne's bastion.</p><p>By the time Wrathion and his companions, alongside the group of Frostborne, arrived back in Frosthold, it was late into the night. Velog has promised he would hold a feast in the name of the saviors of his son, as well as their companions the next day.<br/>The Frostborne leader also intended to learn more of Wrathion's quest, however, given the exhausting state the dragon and his companions were in, he was elected to allow them to rest.</p><p>For the remaining night, Velog has offered Wrathion and everyone else to rest in his estate, and brought a warm meal consisting of mammoth soup and blackened worg steak, to everyone in their chamber.<br/>The blizzard sucked out the energy out of everyone who was aboard the zeppelin. Only after an hour since everyone had settled in warm Velog's estate, snoring was heard emerging out of nearly every single room.</p><p>However, Tieria was unable to sleep that night. She was uncertain if it was the fatigue from such a dreadful experience of being stranded in a snow desert, or the uncomfortable bed which disturbed her slumber.<br/>The templar once again put on her gold-matte and silver armor piece and plate kilt. She reached out to grab her pipe and left for outside, without bothering to fix her hair or taking her weapon with her.</p><p>She found herself exiting Frostborn's encampment as she lit her pipe, she planned on enjoying her smoke upon the edge of the hill, to admire the view from the mountain.<br/>Nevertheless, she ceased from walking upon noticing another figure already standing in the spot she planned upon resting.</p><p>Despite it being fairly dark outside, Tieria immediately recognized Wrathion's silhouette.</p><p>Tieria bit her lower lip, taken by surprise to find the Black Prince awake. She took in a deep breath while debating to return inside or approaching him. Without realizing her own actions, she began walking towards Wrathion with gentle steps, and spoke as if something took control over her:</p><p>"Can't sleep either?" Inquired Tieria softly. Speaking for the first time with Wrathion since their argument. The dragon simply shook his head in a negative response.<br/>She glanced upon the snowy mountains as she inhaled deeply out of the pipe.</p><p>The view of nothing but darkness, with only the silhouettes of the mountains painted lousy into the horizon. However, as it was no longer snowing, the sky was clear and filled with glistening stars. An emerald aurora danced in the skies of Storm Peaks as well.</p><p>It was the only thing about Northrend which Tieria adored. This land was nothing but cold and unforgiving due to the Scourge domination. However, the templar recalled how peaceful the nights could be under the lights of the auroras.</p><p>They stood silently next to each other. Tieria exhaled smoke and lifted her eyes at Wrathion. Her brown eyes shined with an odd mix between guilt, anger and compassion. While the dragon's features were hardened as he looked grim upon the skies of Northrend.<br/>The silence was unsettling to Tieria; the templar desired to once again discuss with Wrathion of what had occurred the previous day, while simultaneously telling herself that after the dreadful incident which transpired today, this was hardly the time for such a conversation.</p><p>Before she could settle on a decision, Wrathion addressed her:</p><p>"My… Withhold from the truth, was not personal, Tieria." Declared Wrathion, while gritting his teeth lightly. He spoke quietly, almost in a whisper while still remaining with his gaze on the horizon. "It is simply history I desire to bury."</p><p>"I've been there…" Exhaled Tieria as she understood the dragon's sentiment. Her words prompted Wrathion to turn to her, watching as the thin smoke was leaving her dry lips.<br/>Their eyes at last locked into each other. Tieria realized by Wrathion's gaze that he desired an explanation for what she had just said.</p><p>"We all have a dark moment in our lives." Lamented the paladin, to which the Black Prince chuckled grimly.<br/>"It is amusing to hear it coming from a knight of the holy Light." Asserted Wrathion.</p><p>Tieria released an empty giggle. After a brief pause, she blinked at Wrathion; her eyes glistening with melancholy.<br/>"Were you ever planning on telling me the truth?" Murmured Tieria in a whisper.<br/>"No." Replied Wrathion turning away from the templar.</p><p>Tieria remained silent; she admitted to herself that Wrathion's answer pained her; but at least he was honest.<br/>Wrathion's tone indicated that the dragon was still upset over their previous conversation and Tieria could not blame him. She felt just as bitter, however she was desperately searching in her heart for forgiveness.</p><p>Before either of them could react, a large blast of magic came between the dragon and the paladin, bursting them in different sides of the hill. Tieria and Wrathion grunted in shock and pain as they fell on the cold snow.<br/>Wrathion proceeded to rise on his feet right away, only to find himself surrounded by men masked in heavy and black armor, with tentacles and yellow eyes decorated upon their gear.</p><p>"We're under attack!" Yelled out Tieria with her entire strength, in hope those from the camp would hear her. She stood up, while still in shock. Her eyes widened upon an orc cultist standing before her; she instantly recognized their armor.</p><p>
  <em>They were servants of N'Zoth.</em>
</p><p>Tieria succeeded to parry the cultist first hit of his sword, by forming a holy shield around herself and searing the orc with a fire holy spell. However, a second cultist jumped from behind her and kicked her down into the snow.<br/>The templar managed only to lift her torso and stand on her knees before she was pressed down once again by the masked cultist. He grabbed both of her arms and pulled them behind her back as she laid on her stomach.</p><p>While trying to free herself from the rogue's grasp, Tieria watched as the rest of the cultists were swarming Wrathion.</p><p>"Enough with your hiding, Son of Neltharion!" Cried of a bitter, female voice. It belonged to a human cultist, dressed in crimson and dark grey robes. Her waist was decorated with a large metal plate and she wore large shoulderpads on each of her shoulders. Her head was covered with a grey clow, making it difficult for Tieria to see the face of the enemy.</p><p>The woman stretched her arm before Wrathion as dark magic emitted from her palm. The spell traveled towards Wrathion and shackled itself around his neck, stunning the dragon.<br/>Tieria continued to cry out for help as she was being held down by the rogue.</p><p>As the female cultist pursued to hold her spell against Wrathion, the rest of N'zoth's servants formed a circle around the Black Prince, ensuring there would be no path for him to escape.<br/>However, their line-up was broken by a thunder striking in-between them and an axe flying into the back of a kaldorei cultist. He fell unto the ground, blood was spewing into the snow as he screamed in pain.</p><p>The small formation of N'Zoth's followers, as well as Tieria, who still desperately tried to escape from grasps of the rogue, turned to witness Farseer Lorga standing with another axe held in her hand.<br/>The Farseer's hair was disheveled and her feet were bare. She only wore her strapless black brasette and loose woolen breeches. She glared coldly at her foes, her nostrils flaring in a taunt.</p><p>At the sight of the shaman, two of the cultists charged towards her.</p><p>Wrathion attempted to protest with his voice and reached out to try and free himself from the shackling magic as he was gasping for air, but the female cultist was holding her spell without breaking sweat.<br/>Lorga heard the Black Prince's cry for help and as she plunged her axe into the head of the cultist, she leaped forward and mid-air turned into a spirit wolf to charge faster towards his rescue.</p><p>"We have what we need! Let's go!" Ordered the female cultist impatiently. One of her comrades summoned up a portal at great speed. Every single cultist ran through the portal, including the rogue who held Tieria down.</p><p>As soon as she was no longer pinned down, Tieria rose on her feet and ran towards Wrathion but she, as well as Farseer Lorga were far too late. The female cultist who held Wrathion shackled with her spell, dragged the Black Prince through the portal and vanished.<br/>"Tieria-!" Wrathion called out as he began disappearing through the magical gate.</p><p>In a blink of an eye, the cultists were gone.<br/><em>Alongside Wrathion.</em></p><p>Tieria once again fell on her knees. She stood frozen, her mouth open in shock as she felt her eyes starting to tear up, starting into the direction where the portal was a moment ago. Her lower lip trembled and she found herself unable to say a word.<br/>She could only stand and watch as Lorga walked over the place where Wrathion once stood, much like Tieria, the orc's face was painted with disbelief.</p><p>The templar blinked, letting tears stream down her cold cheeks. While deeply appalled, she could only breathe one thing:<br/>"They took Wrathion…"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Manumit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Murmurs, disagreements, arguments were continually echoing within the great hall of Velog Icebellow's fortress. The chamber was crowded with the strangers who have just recently been sheltering in Frosthold.</p><p>Blacktalon agents were alternating between each other in panic; attempting to organize a strategic plan to rescue the Black Prince, despite knowing little information of his whereabouts. Others were simply discussing how their foes succeeded to abduct their master so effortlessly.<br/>The voices were so loud, that Velog could not hear his own thoughts; and the overlap of conversations made it difficult for the Frostborne leader to understand the words which resounded in his own chamber.</p><p>However, the blares immediately vanished, upon the sound of a fist hitting heavily against the surface of the long desk.</p><p>"Everyone keep it quiet before I rip all of your tongues out!" Yelled Farseer Lorga, her tenacious voice echoing through the stone hall.</p><p>Every soul present abruptly became mute, as they cowered before the shaman. She was breathing in and out loudly, her nostrils flaring in anger while eyeing everyone who was present in front of her. Her fist vibrated lightly as residue from slamming it.</p><p>The moment Wrathion has vanished alongside with N'Zoth's cultists; Lorga and Tieria, who were the only one present to witness the abduction, returned to Frostborne's fortress, to rouse everyone and inform of the event which has just occurred.</p><p>It was still midnight, and everyone had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep. But it did not matter anymore; Wrathion has been taken by the Corruptor's forces - an action that the Blacktalon agents have been attempting to avoid since the very beginning of the Black Prince's campaign.</p><p>The Black Prince's servants cared little about their own rest ever since they have heard of the news.<br/>Lorga has gathered all of the Blacktalon agents, Felassan and Caradin, as well as some of the Frostborne, in the main hall to discuss the next step.</p><p>Tieria was next to Farseer Lorga. Unlike everyone else, the young templar was the only one seated at the table; and she stood in utter silence. She rested her elbows on the surface of the table and covered her distressed face with her palms.</p><p>The templar was still unable to comprehend that Wrathion was taken away by N'Zoth's minions right before her;she blamed herself for not fighting harder to defend the black dragon.</p><p>"Your leader has been captured." Summarized Lorga once again, this time in a more collected tone but still slightly severe. "He's in the hands of the Corruptor. We need to rescue him, lest we suffer a second Cataclysm or worse." The orc analyzed everyone in the room as she was speaking. "However, our issue… Is the fact that we do not know where they might hold him."</p><p>"N'Zoth's forces are like cockroaches!" Stated Calthaire hostile, her nostrils flaring in outrage. "They could be anywhere! Those bastards followed us even through a blizzard!" The night elf waved her arm angrily and released a loud exhale.</p><p>"Aren't we losing precious time?" Inquired Felassan after another long pause settled in the hall following Calthaire's critique. The demon hunter stood next to Caradin's right side and turned his head to his left to address Farseer Lorga. "Would it not be easier to simply pursue our plan and charge into Ny'alotha? Once we bring down the Corruptor, the dragon will be freed as well."</p><p>Tieria dragged her palms away from her eyes and rested her fingers on her temples, she stared emptily upon the desk as she soaked in what the Felassan had just said. However, her train of thoughts were wiped away by Lorga's vigorous voice, criticizing the demon hunter harshly:</p><p>"Has the ritual which turned you into a demon completely sucked your brain out?!" Barked the shaman. "The dragon is the only one who knows how to reach Ny'alotha. Without him - we're as useless as murlocs."<br/>Felassan's jaw clenched in irritation. He bit his tongue, refraining himself to reply to the orc's insult. The demon hunter simply rested both of his fists upon the table and remained silent.</p><p>"Ny'alotha…" Mouthed Tieria. Her forehead furrowed as her mind began thinking of the alternate reality inhabited by the Old Gods and their minions.<br/>Though the templar has never witnessed the Sleeping City, nor has she seen any mortal depiction of it - she visualized it as a black fortress, with similar structure as Icecrown Citadel.</p><p>"Could the cultists taken Wrathion to Ny'alotha itself?" She lifted her head to look up at Farseer Lorga. The orc was quiet at first, scratching her chin while meditating upon Tieria's inquiry.<br/>"No." Stated Lorga while shaking her velvet head. "Ny'alotha is not a physical realm. One cannot simply teleport there; you have to crossing the veil through a gateway set between our realms and His'."</p><p>She took a pause to drag a chair in front of her and take a seat next to Tieria at the table. Lorga took a short time to make herself comfortable in her seat; then as she rested one arm upon the surface of the desk, the Farseer resumed:<br/>"I saw a glimpse of the mage's portal when they took Wrathion. It was… A blurry image of ebon mountains I believe…"<br/>"Ebon mountains?" Repeated Calthaire, her long eyebrows snapped together; she began exchanging glances with the Blacktalon agents next to her.<br/>Their expressions read confusion and hesitation, some of them even shrugged to the night elf. Quietly, Calthaire and Ranulf, the mage of the group, began mouthing to each other unclear sentences.</p><p>"You two know somethin'?" Interrogated Caradin as his eyes peered back and forth between Calthaire and Ranulf. Calthaire coughed and nudged her head towards the mage, implying that it should be Ranulf, who would be sharing their discussion with everyone else:<br/>"Before the Black Prince summoned us all to the Ebon Rest." Began the silver-haired mage, his voice slightly trembling due to everyone's gaze upon him. "Many of us were stationed in the Burning Steppes; scouting the Blackrock Mountain."</p><p>"He had us spy the Vault of the Shadowflame, the bulk of Blackwing Descent." Continued with the explanation Calthaire, as soon as Ranulf finished his sentence. She spoke with haste and certainty, unlike her mage comrade. The night elf was clearly well-competent in giving reports. "It was once Nefarian's laboratory, in which the Lord of Blackrock warped attempts to create a new breed of dragon. We heard that many of his experiments still remained intact; and thus, Lord Wrathion believed someone might attempt to take over Nefarian's experiments."</p><p>"And ye think N'zoth's cultists took 'im there?" Continued to question Caradin, to which the Blacktalon night elf nodded.<br/>"It makes sense." Concurred Lorga as she relaxed in the chair. "Wrathion has proven to be incredibly resistant to the Corruptor's whispers. And Nefarian was known for experimenting alongside the Twilight hammer." She analyzed. "Perhaps His servants are attempting to force the void corruption unto the dragon in the same manner Nefarian did on his experimental dragons."</p><p>"Then we go to Burning Steppes." Concluded Tieria as she swiftly rose from her seat. "<em>Now</em>."<br/>"Settle down, lassie." Pleaded Caradin softly, while reaching his hand out to Tieria.</p><p>The templar was unable to control her emotions given the stressful situation, hence, without realizing, she threw a glare to her friend.<br/>"We need a solid plan if we want to get 'im alive out of there." Said the dwarf, ignoring the paladin's twisted expression.<br/>"We need to get there first." Accentuated Felassan while standing with his arms crossed. "Burning Steppes is in the southern part of Eastern Kingdoms."</p><p>"I can get us to Stormwind-" Offered Ranulf excitedly, but then he realized the flaw in his plan as soon as he made eye contact with Farseer Lorga. The mage sealed his mouth shut and shyly took a step back, unwilling to have any more attention on him.<br/>"Stormwind City is not an option." Shook her head Farseer Lorga, her expression hardened at the thought of the largest human city on Azeroth. "And even if we were in Elwynn Forest, we would still need mounts to fly over the mountains. We cannot carry on foot to the Blackrock Mountain."</p><p>Everyone remained quiet as they fell into their own thoughts, attempting to unearth a way to reach Wrathion. Tieria felt like every passing second was an eternity, and the more they lingered here – the more Wrathion was suffering at the hands of N'Zoth. She did not even want to imagine the horror those cultists were inflicting upon the dragon; she was too afraid to even dare to visualize it.</p><p>Her eyes went over Velog Icebellow, the leader of the Frostborne and their kind host.<br/>The Frostborne dwarf stood in one corner of the room, with his son Fjorlin, by his side and a couple of advisors and guards behind him. The poor dwarf seemed bewildered at what he was witnessing, for nobody has yet informed the Frostborne leader, who were these strangers who decided to cross the deadly land of Storm Peaks and what was their end goal.</p><p>"Farseer." Addressed Felassan to Lorga. The orc swiftly redirected her head to the demon hunter, attentively listening to his question: "When the zeppelin was crashing, you had the winds aiding us in surviving the crash. Is there a chance you could control the winds to get us to Eastern Kingdoms?"<br/>Lorga's lifted her scarred eyebrow at his question; for a glimpse of a moment it seemed the Farseer was biting her tongue to prevent herself from fuming another snarky reply. Her expression softened as she shook her head:</p><p>"The elements are not a caravan service." Stated the Farseer grimly, she shifted the weight in her seat as she about to elaborate an explanation; however, the orc was interrupted by Caradin releasing a gasp and addressing to Ranulf:<br/>"Mage, is there one of those leylines in the Redridge Mountains?" Asked Caradin while looking at the Blacktalon mage. The silver-haired human, who was presumably of the same age as Tieria, blinked at the dwarf, then he nodded with certitude.</p><p>"Y-yes." Replied Ranulf timidly, he scratched his silver head while visualizing the Redridge Mountains, the idyllic region which belonged to the Kingdom of Stormwind and was located east of Elwynn Forest, and south of the Burning Steppes."In truth, I studied some of my magic during childhood in the Redridge Mountains." Confessed the mage. "There is a tower, known as the Tower of Ilgalar, located in the eastern part of the land. Last I heard it was deserted, however the leyline might still be active…"</p><p>"Good!" Cheered softly Caradin. "Ye get us ta' Redridge Mountains; I've got an acquaintance there who might help us."<br/>"Redridge Mountains?" Repeated Tieria, she turned her head to Caradin, her eyes displayed with confusion for her friend has never mentioned an acquaintance from the southern part of the Eastern Kingdoms. "Who do you know from the Redridge Mountains?"</p><p>Caradin's face went blank at Tieria's question. He pressed his lips thinly against each other, hesitant to give a response to his friend; the dwarf blinked at her rapidly then broke away the eye-contact. He glanced around the chamber, to witness everybody waiting to hear his answer.<br/>Tieria remained to look at him with a puzzled expression, unable to understand Caradin's sudden hesitant behavior.</p><p>Finally, after a long and loud cough, Caradin gave the name of his supposedly acquaintance. And it was a name, Tieria has not anticipated to ever hear again:<br/>"Thom Leiland." Said the dwarf with haste.<br/>"What?!" Stuttered Tieria; she blanched and her jaw tightened. "You are still in contact with Thom? For how long? Why have you never told me?" The templar threw the questions one after another, her voice slightly high pitched from agitation.</p><p>"Because I knew ye're gonna react the way yer reactin' now!" Argued Caradin, his voice just as flustered as hers. Tieria drew her lips back in a snarl, shaking her head in disbelief. "Also, ye expect me ta' tell ye everyone I exchange letters with?" Lectured the dwarf while waving his arms in the air. Tieria's eyes went round as she replied:<br/>"No!" Divulged the paladin. "However, Thom was-" Tieria was about to continue to protest, but was interrupted by Lorga once again slamming her fist against the table, silencing the templar and the dwarf.</p><p>Tieria turned to the Farseer, watching the orc's disapproving glare caused her to begin nibbling on her bottom lip in awkwardness. As the templar looked around the room, she realized how uncomfortable everyone felt by observing the ludicrous bickering between her and Caradin.</p><p>Tieria sank in her chair, allowing Farseer Lorga to resume the command of the gathering.<br/>"How certain is this contact of yours?" Asked Lorga after the echo of her fist smashing against the table died away. Caradin gave a shrug, a spark of uncertainty shone in his blue eyes.<br/>"'Tis worth a shot." Exhaled the Argent Crusade sergeant. "Better than nothin'."</p><p>"Redridge Mountains it is." Confirmed the Farseer, then she rose from her seat. The orc turned to her right side, addressing Tieria, Caradin and Felassan: "Get your armor and weapons." She ordered simply, afterwards, the orc directed her honey-colored eyes to Calthaire. "You are to be in charge of the ongoing assignment. Go to the Forge of Wills."<br/>"What?" Barked Calthaire in disbelief, her silver eyes narrowing at the Farseer. "You expect to go to Blackwing Descent just the four of you?"</p><p>"Wrathion expects the <em>four</em> <em>of</em> <em>us</em> to fight inside Ny'alotha itself." Proclaimed Lorga; unlike the Blacktalon night elf, who visibly was showing distress, the orc was serene. "I am confident we can handle some brainwashed cultists, provided we're organized." She continued with confidence. "The mission to activate the Forge is still important and we will not let all this traveling go to waste."</p><p>Calthaire stood silent as she bit her lip. The Blacktalon agent agreed with Lorga's argument, however, as skilled as these four '<em>champions</em>' were, she was uncertain if they could rescue her master. Nonetheless, her comrades have risked so much to reach Storm Peaks, and they were only mountains away from the Forge of Wills - it would be absurdity to have the entire squad return to Eastern Kingdoms.</p><p>If- <em>when</em>, the Black Prince would return to them, Calthaire was confident that the dragon would be thrilled to have learnt that his agents have succeeded in their task without his aid.</p><p>Calthaire turned to Velog, as she politely addressed to the Frostborne leader:<br/>"We might be abusing your kindness - but we will need your aid in reaching the Forge of Wills." Pleaded the night elf softly. Velog released a small chuckle and laughed.<br/>"I am willin' ta' help." Nodded the Frostborne. "So long as ye tell me why ye seek the ancient Titan forge and who were yer Master's kidnappers."</p><p>Calthaire blinked, realizing that despite his kind hospitality, the Frostborne dwarf had no idea why was this group traveling through Storm Peaks and what was their task. This discussion was intended to occurr in the morning, over a warm breakfast. Wrathion planned on professing the situation to the Frostborne dwarves and ask for their aid. Now, it was up to Calthaire to take the mantle of the commander and lead the Blacktalon.</p><p>The night elf gave a faint smile on her violet lips and saluted Velog:<br/>"I will omit no detail." Promised the Blacktalon rogue.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>"Why are you trespassing on our territory, Alliance dog?" Growled the massive orc warrior. "This part of the tournament grounds belongs to the Horde!"</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Do you Horde scum realize that you cannot simply put your ugly red banner on a territory and claim it as yours? The tournament grounds belong to everyone!" Replied the human, dressed in silver and blue armor with the Stormwind City tabard decorating his attire.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Leave this area, now!" Roared the orc, his nostrils flaring with anger and his gaze filled with enmity as he looked at the Alliance soldier. "Or face my rage."</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Show me what you got, beast!" Declared the human, he brought his hands in front of him and curled them into fists, readying himself for combat.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Agitated and provoked, the orc released a loud war cry and stomped towards the human. He lifted his massive hand in the air as he was about to strike down his opponent.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Hey!" Came out a female voice, as a slim figure jumped between the Horde grunt and the Alliance footman. "By the order of Highlord Tirion Fordring, the Argent Tournament grounds are a sanctuary. Which means <strong>no</strong> combat is allowed outside the tournament's challenges! <strong>None!</strong>"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She was a young paladin, wearing a dark bronze heavy armor as she proudly wore the Argent Crusade tabard atop it. A pale-gold libram was attached to her waist and a silver coif shielded her head from the unforgiving snow. Strands of brown hair were visible through the armored hood, its tips ending at her pierced ears.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>As she stood confidently between the orc and the human, she placed her gloved hand on the human's chest.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"This area indeed belongs to the Horde, good man. Only members of the Horde are allowed here." She explained calmly, despite her thin eyebrows being knitted together.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"You are human!" Complained the Stormwindian soldier. "You are taking their side?" He queried as he looked at the orc with utter disgust. The young templar shook her head.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I am not just a human. I am a member of the Argent Crusade!" Replied the paladin. "Our order is not political!"</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Bah! This is not about politics!" Growled the orc. "This is about me hating stupid Alliance dogs!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yet again, the Horde soldier raised his fist, resuming his attempt to punch the human. The Stormwindian soldier swiftly reacted to the upcoming attack, and pushed away the templar as he charged towards the orc. She lost her balance and fell unto the snow; however, swiftly she rose on her feet and once more walked over the fighting soldiers to break them apart.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Argent Crusade templar succeeded in pushing away the human by grabbing him by his arm and pulling him further away from the orc. The Stormwind footman protested, trying to free himself from her grip as he continued to taunt the orc with slurs.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Due to her attention being focused on the human, the templar had little time to react to the orc's fist coming towards their direction; in haste she took a step forward to face the orc and cloud him in his shoulder.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Horde grunt's punching arm was redirected to the side from the paladin's hit, the cuff around his wrist, decorated with small metal spikes, managed to run itself close to her cheek; slicing the templar upper right cheek deeply.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>The templar could not hold in the pain the scratch was causing; she hissed as she gently covered her wound with her thumb.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Enough!" A fourth voice came from behind them. A tall man, with a bushy ebony beard and shoulder-length hair was walking towards the small group which has caused so much commotion. His armor matched the one the Stormwind footman was wearing, indicating that this man also belonged to the Alliance militia. He stopped to stand by the paladin's side, his pale-blue eyes glaring at his comrade.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You! Get out of here before I report you to our comrades!" Said the bearded man in a deep masculine voice as he pointed his index finger to his Alliance associate. Then he turned to the orc: "Let us forget what happened here, lest you want Highlord Fordring to hear that you started an unwanted fight on these grounds, and have you removed from the tournament!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Both the human and the orc's expression turned stone. It seemed the two of them were highly displeased by this man shouting order and threats to them; however, neither of them desired to get into trouble. The orc released a low growl as he began walking backwards, glaring at the black-haired human.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>The Alliance footman sighed loudly in response; he nodded hesitantly at his comrade, then, his eyes redirected to the templar, who stood next to his comrade. Her dark-brown eyes shone weakly as she was breathing heavily from the pain her heavy bleeding cheek was causing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>At last, the Stormwindian man also left silently, stomping away through the snow.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Are you alright?" Inquired the bearded man once the stood alone with the paladin. He turned to look at her; upon witnessing the horrific wound, one of his hands reached out to hold the templar's arm as the other hand was hovering above her bleeding cheek.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Yes." She muttered weakly while breathing with haste.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Let us heal that wound." He replied softly as his gaze began examining the templar's soft features, theorizing that this deep wound would probably form a scar on her cheek. She simply nodded, as she was led to be guided by the man to the infirmary tent.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"I am Thom Leiland, by the way."</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Tieria."</em>
</p><hr/><p>"Tieria!" Came Caradin's voice from behind, but the paladin did not react. "<em>Tia!</em>" He called out again, she turned slowly to look at her friend as he said: "Everyone is ready, lass."<br/>Tieria nodded in reply, dragging one final smoke out of her pipe before rejoining the others.</p><p>"Ye mad, lassie?" Inquired Caradin with a tint of guilt in his voice as he watched Tieria walk by him.<br/>"No…" Replied Tieria, in a cold tone after a long exhale. "Simply because Thom and I separated, does not mean you may not remain friends." She inhaled deeply and looked down at Caradin. "All I care now is to rescue Wrathion, Caradin." Stated Tieria worryingly; a shiver went through her body at the thought of the dragon being alone in the hands of those who wished him harm.</p><p>Caradin nodded and reached out to gently caress Tieria's hand. His eyes shined with hope as he said:<br/>"We'll get 'im back."</p><p>Upon returning inside the main hall, Tieria witnessed that the large table which stood in the center of the chamber, has been pushed to the side against the wall. Supposedly to make room for Ranulf's teleportation spell.<br/>Velog, alongside his son and some of his Frostborn followers, were standing in front of the massive stone fireplace at the end of the hall. The Blacktalon agents were located next to the Frostborne; they all stood nearly glued to the wall with only Calthaire and Arwel, the Blacktalon warrior and Ranulf's life-companion, standing in front of everyone.</p><p>In the center of the chamber was Ranulf, he held his staff in his hands, which consisted of a long, well-polished oaken body and a blue crystal hovering above it.<br/>And of course, Farseer Lorga and Felassan were next to the mage. They were once again dressed in their armor, with their weapons sheathed; and Felassan had a large backpack on his back, most likely filled with necessary supplies.</p><p>Instinctively, Tieria and Caradin walked in the center of the chamber as well, to join the other two members of their party.</p><p>Tieria has made-eye contact with Lorga; upon witnessing the distress painted on the templar's face, the orc gave her a nudge with her elbow. Although the Farseer attempted to be gentle, she did not account for her strength, making her so-called "<em>nudge</em>" push Tieria a step away.</p><p>Confused at the unforeseen action from the orc, Tieria glanced at the shaman with dazed expression:<br/>"He's strong." Whispered Lorga quietly to Tieria. "He won't fall to them so easily."</p><p>Tieria's eyes widened at Lorga's abrupt words of comfort, for the Farseer was not the one to show compassion. Hearing that from the shaman did not ease Tieria's pain, but at least the templar realized that everyone would attempt their hardest to rescue him.<br/>Tieria nodded at Lorga, as she forced a small smile on her pink lips. Then she turned her attention to Ranulf.</p><p>The mage understood from everyone's gaze that it was time. He hit the floor loudly with the end of his staff; instantly, a light-blue ray was forming from his staff. The teleportation ritual was just like the previous time, when he used his magic to teleport Wrathion and Tieria to Stormwind: with the end of his staff Ranulf began drawing runes of magic, lighting up the stone floor with bright hieroglyphs. His gaze was fixed on the ground as he guided his staff around the four members, tracing a circle around them.</p><p>"Good luck." Whispered Ranulf to Tieria and the rest. "And bring him back." Lastly, he waved his arm and opened his palm in front of them. The runes lightened up so brightly, it forced everyone to shut their eyes. The spell was whistling in their ears, sounding like the wind beating through a dense forest.</p><p>The moment they opened their eyes, they woke up standing in front of an old tower. Towering elms and rising elevations were the nature which surrounded the small group. The sound of rushing rivers was heard in the distance.</p><p>They were in the Redridge Mountains.</p><p>It was unknown for how long Tieria and the rest were walking. Without a map, it was difficult to navigate through the dense forests of this place. The sun was still rising in the sky, indicating that it was still early in the morning. To their luck, they have not encountered any wilderness, as Redridge Mountains was known to often encounter gnoll attacks.</p><p>However, given their situation, there were worse things the group could encounter on this land. Redridge Mountains was Alliance territory, hence, in order to be safer, Farseer Lorga traveled in a form of a spirit wolf, and the group avoided to walk in the road, making their journey slightly more challenging.</p><p>Caradin was walking in front of everyone, holding his compass wide open in his palm, searching for the north. Nothing but cracking on the leaves they walked upon, and breezes shaking the tree was heard; everyone refrained from saying anything. Not even asking who exactly was Thom Leiland who they were about to meet, and why Tieria was so startled in seeing him.</p><p>After what seemed to be hours, a large azure lake appeared on their horizon.<br/>The lake was named "<em>Everstill</em>", and it was known for its fishing and sadly, immense murloc occupation. The crystal-clear waters of the lake provided a spectacular setting for the sleepy settlement of Lakeshire, the human town which sat on the bank of the majestic lake.</p><p>However, the group did not intend on traveling to Lakeshire; instead, they continued walking north, through the forest, until they stopped in front of a modest cottage at the bottom of the mountains.</p><p>"Is this it?" Inquired Tieria timidly, Caradin nodded, his gaze continuing to stare upon the house.<br/>"Aye." Confirmed the dwarf. "He mentioned that he settled further from the town. In a house north by the lake; this must be it."</p><p>Tieria bit on her lower lip and asked a question her heart was unaware if it desired to hear the answer:<br/>"Did he… Ever mention or ask of me in your correspondents?" Caradin lifted his eyes on the paladin and blinked at her as he gave the simple answer:<br/>"No."</p><p>And in truth, Tieria was uncertain if she felt relief or heartache by his answer.</p><p>As they approached the house, the group saw a tall man standing outside. He was surrounded by logs and broken woods, which were thrown everywhere around him. As the man stood in the center, he launched his axe down to the log in front of him, slicing it in half.</p><p>Sweat was forming down from his forehead, dripping down to his rich and bushy black beard. As he rested his axe into the wood, the man lifted his muscular arms to untie his low bun and run his fingers through his ebon hair before once again adjusting his low-bun hairdo. His ivory skin was glistening in the sun.</p><p>As he heard footsteps approaching, he redirected his blue eyes upon the odd group which were walking towards his direction. His dark brows drew together upon the souls who stood in front of him, he began eyeing everyone: the ghost wolf, standing serene; the scared night elf, with a blindfold over his eyes and demonic horns emerging from his head; the blonde dwarf in heavy armor, with engineering goggles resting on his the top of his head; and the petite human, with dark-brown hair and heavily pierced ears and matte gold kilt and breastplate.</p><p>The man took a hesitant step forward, his eyes fixated upon the human.<br/>"Tieria?" He said in disbelief, his mouth twitched from pronouncing her name.<br/>"Thom." Said Tieria in a greeting with a stone expression.<br/>"W-what…" Thom licked his lips and rubbed his eyes, as if he did not trust his sight. "Caradin as well?" He inquired as he glanced down at the dwarf, then returned to look at Tieria. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>Tieria fell silent, for it was a new emotion forming inside of her as she stood in the presence of Thom. It was both… Joy to see him well, but also anger for she felt reliving the same kind of pain she has not felt in years. The templar buried deeply any memories regarding this man, and now everything was resurfacing.<br/>All of the moments she spent alongside Thom flashed before her eyes; overwhelmed she tore away her gaze from him.</p><p>The paladin looked down at Caradin, her eyes pleading for the dwarf to speak.<br/>"Thom… I know this is… Sudden and weird." Began the dwarf calmly, with slight stuttering. "But we need yer help. We need ta' get ta' Burning Steppes."</p><p>Thom's eyes widened once he heard the name of the rugged region is full of craggy foothills, scattered boulders, and wide-open ashy plains. Nobody had any reason to journey to that place, for it was nothing but rivers of lava river into a charred earth landscape.</p><p>"With all due respect," Began Thom, slightly antagonistic, his eyes remaining upon the young templar. "Having you suddenly appearing in front of my house, asking for help without reason is quite... Overwhelming." He pressed his lips together while lifting his hand to wipe away sweat off his forehead.<br/>"Which I understand!" Replied Caradin humbly. "But I am afraid time does not allow us ta' explain everythin'. We simply need gryphons, ta fly to Blackrock Mountain."</p><p>Thom inhaled loudly while scratching his beard; clearly, the man was struggling whenever he should press for details, or simply aid these travelers and carry on with his business. The issue was that they were not mere travelers to him.<br/>There was a low growl coming from the spirit wolf; asudden Farseer Lorga returned in her natural form, annoyance overtook her face as she spoke impatiently:</p><p>"We do not have time to explain our affairs!" Growled the shaman. "Either tell us if you can help or not!"<br/>"Farseer!" Scolded Tieria, worried what the orc might trigger by standing in her natural appearance in front of an Alliance soldier. Thom gasped upon the sight of the orc standing in front of him, rapidly he walked over to the lodge and picked up his axe, holding it tightly in his hand:</p><p>"What is this? Why is there an orc among you?" Interrogated Thom aggressively as he took up a battle stance.<br/>"Settle down, human." Spat Lorga, speaking just as antagonistic as Thom. "I have no interest in harming you."</p><p>"You think I don't recognize you?" Barked Thom as he pointed at Lorga. "Scarred eyebrow orc, with velvet hair like the rocks in the Blasted Lands?" His finger redirected to Lorga's bone necklace as he continued with her description: "Wearing bones which are not of this world." He took a daring step forward. "Many good Alliance men died by your hand!"</p><p>Lorga's face turned dark; she gritted her yellow teeth. Without realizing it, she curled her armored hands into fists, with one of them she began reaching out to one of her axes; however, the Farseer was interrupted by Felassan covering her hand with his'.<br/>Lorga looked at the night elf - although she could not read his eyes due to the blindfold - she understood from his hardened expression that the demon hunter pleaded for the orc not to aggravate the situation by attacking Thom.</p><p>Without breathing a single word, the Farseer pulled her hand away to escape Felassan's grasp and relaxed her stance; behaving as if she had no intention of fighting to begin with.</p><p>"Tieria. Caradin." Addressed Thom while looking at each of them. "I knew as members of the Argent Crusade, the two of you do not involve yourself with the affair of the Horde or of the Alliance. But for you to journey around with her is an insult to the innocent people of the Alliance! She's a monster."<br/>"What did you call me?" Growled Lorga tauntingly while giving him a dirty look and took a daring step forward.</p><p>"Wait, no-!" Leaped Tieria between the orc and Thom. "Thom, she is not here as a part of the Horde."<br/>"Aye!" Nodded Caradin. "She represents the Earthen Ring! She's a shaman, workin' in Silithus!"</p><p>Thom's eyes relaxed at the mention of the Earthen Ring, the neutral organization of shamans dedicated to preserving balance in Azeroth. However he remained in his battle-stance, feeling unconvinced.</p><p>"Thom." Spoke Tieria softly while taking a step closer to him. "I can realize how odd it is to have your former lover coming here…" She exhaled tiringly. "But I would not be here if I would not be desperate."<br/>"This potato of a lumberjack is your former lover?" Muttered Felassan astounded. There was surprise detected in the tone of his voice, for the demon hunter did not expect to learn <em>this</em> was how Caradin and Tieria were acquainted with Thom.</p><p>The bearded man looked far older than Tieria; his rough and hardened features seemed to be an odd liking to someone as delicate as Tieria. Or perhaps the templar craved for someone opposite of her; Felassan had little knowledge in that matter. Nonetheless, he did find the notion of Thom once being Tieria's lover bizarre.</p><p>"I'm noticing a pattern of ebony hair… And arrogance." Uttered the Farseer while crossing her arms.</p><p>Tieria blinked puzzled at Lorga and Felassan, then she resumed to look at Thom. As she gazed into his blue eyes, Tieria found herself lost, and unable to speak. The templar did not know how she could possibly convince him in aiding them; and she was confident that explaining the truth, that they are rescuing a black dragon, who is about to become corrupted by an Old God would only bring out more questions.</p><p>To her luck, Caradin took a step forward and pleaded to Thom once more:<br/>"Lad, we need help. And believe or not – yer the only one who can do it."</p><p>Thom did not respond to Caradin's appeal. The warrior remained staring at Lorga and Tieria with his axe still in his hand.</p><p>"Tell the orc to throw away her weapons." Ordered Thom, which was received by Lorga laughing.<br/>"I can turn the very earth you're standing on against you!" Roared the orc proudly with a tint of mocking. "But have it your way." Then she reached out to unsheathe her axes and dropped them on the ground.</p><p>Thom's expression remained displeased. It seemed the encounter he had just had with Lorga had put him into a sour mood. Before the orc's taunting, Thom was considering to aid them, now the Alliance soldier was wondering if assisting them would be wise.<br/>"Why Burning Steppes?" He pursued an interrogation. "What is this… <em>Union</em>, anyway?" He asked as he looked at Caradin and his allies. "What is your purpose?"<br/>"We need ta' get atop the Blackrock Mountains." Caradin repeated himself firmly. "We've lost one from our team… And we need to rescue him."</p><p>"Who took your ally?" Inquired Thom aggressively.<br/>"Yer want the real version or the watered down one?" Snapped Caradin irritated, as time was precious to them. "This world is always in some sort of danger. Our fella is the key to everythin' if we intend to put a stop to it'."</p><p>Thom however, did not approve of the dwarf's answer. His eyes redirected towards Tieria, nostalgia began heavily surging through his body. He has not seen this woman for five years.<br/>A woman who, at some point in his life, was his only source of happiness. He thought back to the time after the Lich King's reign ended, and the victorious warrior had chosen to follow his new beloved to Hearthglen and aid her in rebuilding the lands of Western and Eastern Plaguelands from the Scourge's destruction. Those were peaceful times; and there he has formed memories that the warrior would forever cherish.</p><p>Thom found himself thanking the Light that his wife, alongside his daughters, went to Lakeshire early in the morning. He did not wish for her to witness this… Chaos of an encounter. His beloved knew of Tieria, but that did not mean that she might be keen into meeting her in person.<br/>There was also the matter of the orc, who Thom highly mistrusted, regardless of what Tieria and Caradin told him.</p><p>"Yer a good man, Thom." Continued Caradin to convince the warrior.. "I am sure ye can ignore the orc and aid your friends."<br/>"<em>Friends</em>?" Repeated Thom in a snort. "We exchange letters once every season." He paused as he looked up with Tieria. "And we haven't seen each other for... Too long."<br/>"This man is useless." Stated Felassan angrily. "We'll carry on foot."</p><p>"We'll lose too much time!" Argued Tieria with the night elf, her voice breaking apart. "Thom…" Her long lashes fluttered as she looked at him, desperation was painted on her fragile face. "I'm begging you. I-, <em>we</em>, cannot afford losing him."</p><p>It was uncertain if it was the bleak in Tieria's voice, or the glisten of sorrow in her eyes, but Thom felt a rush of empathy as he looked at the templar. Sadly, he recognized that heartbreaking expression, for he once caused it as well.<br/>Thom was not the one to ignore those in need; and he was not about to break his code of honor because his former lover stood in front of him next to an orc.</p><p>He sighed as he tossed his axe back into the piece of log and wiped away dust from his hands by rubbing them together.<br/>"I can only give you two gryphons." Avowed Thom in the end. He watched as Tieria and Caradin's faces lit up with hope.<br/>"We'll take it!" Agreed Caradin without consulting with the group.</p><p>"I'll get them ready." Replied Thom, then he looked up to Lorga and Felassan. "You two stand by the river. There are patrols often scouting by my house and I have no desire to explain myself to them."<br/>Lorga, as annoyed as she was, simply walked away without saying a word. She resumed her spirit wolf form mid-steps. Felassan, much like her, followed the shaman in silence.</p><p>During the time Thom was preparing the mounts, Caradin was sitting under a tree sharpening his long-axe. He stood in a good spot to be able to see Thom and Tieria next to his house, as well as Lorga and Felassan who were hiding close to the edge of the river.</p><p>As he adjusted the saddle on the gryphon, Thom could not help but glance at Tieria, who was further to him, sitting down in a lodge as she smoked out of her pipe. Her eyes were restless, her brows were sewed together – clouding her soft features with anger as she seemed to be enraptured by her own thoughts.</p><p>They made eye-contact, which prompted Thom to break away and focus upon the saddle.<br/>"You grew your hair out." Stated Thom while gazing upon the winged creature as he buckled the belt of the saddle. "It looks good on you."</p><p>Upon the mention of her hair, Tieria found herself reaching out to her locks, dragging her fingers through them as she felt the length of her hair. She did not even realize that her hair was down, instead of having it tied in a high ponytail as per usual.<br/>Her hair has disheveled that way since the previous nightfall, since she woke up in the middle of the night to wander around Frosthold and she encountered Wrathion; the dragon and the templar spoke for the first time since their sordid argument back at the zeppelin; and regrettably, that conversation did not last for too long, for the cultists have swiftly made their appearance.</p><p>Unsure how to respond, Tieria remained silent, blowing smoke out of her lips.<br/>"You're married." Observed the paladin; she spoke that statement in a slight cold tone. Thom glanced down to hand, realizing that it was the golden band on his finger which made Tieria realize the nature of his relationship. "I thought duties were more important to you." Continued the templar unemotionally. Thom released a loud exhale upon Tieria's sentence, unable to find the correct words.</p><p><em>"I have to return to Stormwind City, to serve my duty to the Alliance."</em> Were ones of the final words Thom said to Tieria, before they have separated.</p><p>"Times are different now." Was all Thom could say to Tieria. The templar licked her dry lips and sighed.<br/>"I suppose they are." She replied in an empty chuckle. Silently, Tieria approached Thom and began stroking the head of the gryphon.</p><p>"You know I felt just as hurt by our separation just like you." Breathed the warrior while looking at Tieria.<br/>"I know." She said melancholic, the corner of her lip slightly curled up upon witnessing the winged-beast purring at Tieria's touch. "That does not mean I was not hurt." Thom nodded in agreement, and lowered his head.</p><p>Soon after the horrific news of what has occurred on the island city of Theramore, Thom felt it was time to return to the Alliance and enroll in the army once again, to fight against the tyrannical Horde led under Garrosh Hellscream.<br/>He pleaded for Tieria to join him to Stormwind City, but the paladin was adamant in not joining any sides in the upcoming war. She desired to remain with her fellow Argent Crusade members and rebuild the lands from the Scourge's destruction. And thus, the loving couple have reached an impasse.</p><p>Thom did not linger for too long to convince Tieria, as soon as the call to arms was heard throughout Eastern Kingdoms - the warrior left, stating that the duties to his people come above anything else.</p><p>"I hope she makes you happy." Said Tieria in a whisper, although her expression was drained away from any positive emotion - the templar meant those words wholeheartedly - and Thom knew that.</p><p>He lifted his eyes to gaze upon the paladin, a faint smile appeared on his lips.<br/>"She does." He confirmed without hesitation. "How about you? Are you involved-"<br/>"No." Tieria replied before he could finish his sentence, her eyes still focused on the gryphon. "I have bigger issues to focus on at the moment."<br/>"Well…" He stammered, realizing how inappropriate his question was. "I hope you will find someone who you deserve. A good man; someone who is not as biased as I am."</p><p>As Tieria soaked in Thom's words, the image of Wrathion became forming in her mind. The paladin realized that she did not care about being with someone at this current moment, or even ever; she wanted to remain by the black dragon's side and aid him in his cause of defending Azeroth.</p><p>The young girl of Lordaeron, who wanted to marry a knight and have a family was long , she was a templar, serving the duty of the Light with the guidance of truth and honor, to protect the sacred world, by any means necessary.<br/>While Tieria drifted off in her thoughts once more, Thom finished with his preparations. He turned to look at Caradin resting underneath a tree and whistled to the dwarf in a signal that he had finished with the arrangements.</p><p>"The gryphons are ready!" Called out Caradin. Lorga and Felassan instantly jumped to reunite with the group and head out to Burning Steppes.<br/>"Release them from their saddle and reins once you reach the Burning Steppes." Ordered Thom while watching Tieria mount the first gryphon. Felassan joined her, while Caradin took the reins of the second gryphon with Farseer Lorga accompanying the dwarf. "They'll find their way back."</p><p>Tieria nodded at the Stormwind warrior.<br/>"Thank you, Thom." Said the templar warmly, a smile formed on her lips. Thom reached out and rested his hand unto hers, he looked deeply into her eyes as he spoke:<br/>"I hope you rescue your friend."</p><p>Unexpectedly, tears filled her brown eyes, however Tieria fought them off. The stress she was in has certainly weighed the paladin's emotions; she felt easily provoked by nearly anything, including feeling Thom's touch once again, despite holding little care for him. There was no longer profound love between them, nonetheless the two of them would always care for each other - for they shared many memories together - good and bad.</p><p>Thom removed his hand from her and took a step back, allowing the gryphons to take charge before lifting off.<br/>Upon Tieria and Caradin's command, the winged beasts opened their wings widely and roared as they took off into the sky, flying over the bronze mountains of Redridge and towards the blackened land of the Burning Steppes.</p><hr/><p>"Alright!" Said Caradin as he jumped off a boulder. "I think Calthaire was right – they might keep the dragon in there." He handed the spyglass to Tieria. "There are cultists scoutin' the balcony."</p><p>The group arrived sooner than anticipated. They commanded the gryphons to land up a hill, right across Blackrock Mountain.<br/>The volcano which was this mountain, was once home to Firelord Ragnaros, as well as the black dragon Nefarian and even the Shadow Council itself. Undoubtedly, this was a dangerous place. Despite many villains being defeated, Blackrock Mountain still served as headquarter to some blackrock orcs who did not desire to join their Horde brethren and Twilight Hammer cultists, who have not given up on their quest.</p><p>Given what Caradin has just described, it seemed this place was also Wrathion's prison.</p><p>Tieria swiftly examined the mountain. She then handed the spyglass to Lorga, the orc spoke before bringing the spyglass to her eyes to witness the view:<br/>"Which means they might expect us."<br/>"They probably know of Wrathion's Blacktalons, but I doubt they know of us." Theorized Felassan. Lorga nodded then gave the spyglass to the demon hunter.</p><p>Caradin waved his hand, motion for everyone to approach him. The group gathered in a small circle as per dwarf's command.</p><p>"Listen up; we stay together – no matter what." Elaborated Caradin in a whisper, albeit there was <em>literally</em> nobody who would eavesdrop on the conversation. The dwarf simply did it out of habit. "This is a rescue mission, not an assault – hence, focus on gettin' the dragon and get out of there." Everyone nodded, attentively listening to Caradin's strategy:</p><p>"If it happens, we have to spread – we separate in two: Me and Tia, Felassan and the Farseer." He pursued to share his plan without pausing. "Once we have the lizard back, everyone gathers around me – I'll pop out the translocator, and we'll be back in the Ebon Rest in a blink of an eye." Concluded the Sergeant.<br/>"If…" Began Tieria timidly. "Wrathion has already… <em>Turned</em>. Let me handle him. My Light will fight back his void-corrupted state."</p><p>As everyone rose, Felassan was the last one to conclude with their plan:<br/>"We fly above the skyline, I'll jump off to get rid of the scouts before they could alarm the rest – then we charge inside." He removed the backpack off his well-toned back and handed it to Caradin; given that the translocator was inside the satchel, the demon hunter wanted to avoid causing any damage to what might be one of their most precious items in this mission.</p><p>Once again, they mounted the gryphon's and set off to rescue the Black Prince.</p><p>It was easy for Felassan to strike down both of the cultists who patrolled the terrace. He jumped from the gryphon, slamming down his entire body weight upon the first scout, knocking him out. Before his comrade could react by either sounding the alarm or attacking the demon hunter, Felassan tossed one of his warglaives into the cultist, slicing his neck wide open.</p><p>The demon hunter whistled, signaling to his comrades that the area has been secured. Caradin, alongside Tieria lowered their gryphons; and per Thom's plea, they slashed away their reins and saddles. The winged beasts spread their wings widely and shook their grey feathers in a form of relief of being freed from the heavy equipment.<br/>In a blink of an eye, both of the gryphons charged towards the edge of the balcony and took off, flying into the southern direction, returning to the Redridge Mountains.</p><p>Tieria watched for a short moment as the beasts were returning home; in her mind, she once again thanked Thom for his kindness. Then, as she unsheathed her longsword, Tieria prayed to the Light that Wrathion is inside Blackwing Descent, and that they are not too late.</p><p>"Stick to' the plan." Muttered Caradin once more, before releasing a loud battle-cry and charging towards the heavy metal entrance of the Vault of the Shadowflame.</p><hr/><p>As soon as the four of them were inside, they encountered two cultists with heavy axes standing guard. Upon witnessing the intruders, the warriors assumed a battle stance.<br/>Lorga took down one of them by blasting a chain of lighting into him. The second one was being handled by Caradin, who fearlessly charged into the cultists, slamming his entire body into the warrior and pushing him down into the large opening. The cultists screamed as he descended unto the lower floor.</p><p>Swiftly Caradin and Lorga walked on the metal plate which was the elevator, and Tieria and Felassan joined them immediately.</p><p>As the elevator was taking them down, they had the opportunity to analyze the Vault of the Shadowflame. It consisted of a circular chamber which branched off into several wings; the main area forms a ring around a pit of lava and carcasses of various dragonflights adorn the ceiling. It was a gruesome sight.</p><p>From afar, they could only catch the sight of a small number of cultists. Two of them were standing on the right side of the circle, examining the lava pool, while only one cultist, who seemed to be an ogre, patrolled around the right side.</p><p>"Wrathion could be in any one of them." Exhaled Tieria as she witnessed the various doors in the circular area.<br/>"We will have to search them all." Stated Lorga; As she eyed everyone, she ordered: "Spread out as we agreed."<br/>"We take the left side." Said Felassan, with a motion of his head he directed the right side of the circular chamber to Tieria and Caradin. "You take the right one; we'll meet in the middle."</p><p>When the elevator reached the lower floor, it made a noisy sound which echoed throughout the entire chamber.<br/>Lorga and Felassan, as per the demon hunter's words, rushed towards the right side. The cultists who stood by the edge of the lava pit, unsheathed their weapons or began casting void magic as they attempted to defend their laboratory.</p><p>Tieria and Caradin were being challenged by the ogre; soon enough, the massive being yelled order in an ugly tongue, and two more cultists emerged from the side door they charged relentlessly. Caradin was dueling a draenei male, who had a large mace as his weapon of choice. While Tieria summoned a hammer of Light and tossed it into the sin'dorei bowman while blinding the ogre with a smite of bright light.</p><p><em>"Ahh... You think you know power."</em> growled an echo in Tieria's mind, which caused the paladin to freeze in her place.</p><p>The cultist archer took the opportunity and fired an arrow in the direction of Tieria. Despite the shocking moment, Tieria has swiftly succeeded in waking up into reality and dodged the arrow by leaping to the side. However, her soar was not far enough, and the arrow succeeded in scratching her exposed torso. The left side of her ribcage had a deep cut which caused Tieria to hiss in pain.<br/>The templar covered her wound with her palm and took in a deep breath to compose herself. In a blink of an eye Tieria leaped towards the bowman, blocking him from launching another arrow as she impaled her sword through his chest, staining her silver blade with the cultist's blood.</p><p>The battle continued without pause as more and more cultists were emerging from the chambers. Although Tieria and her companions have become outnumbered at some point, Lorga summoned two fire elementals out of the lit braziers to even the odds.</p><p>The ruckus which echoed in the circular chamber, caused the large door which stood to the far point of the room to open loudly. A tall female human emerged, her skin was drained from color and her long black hair was thick and seemed to have not been washed in a long time given its ugly shine.</p><p>Although she stood afar, Tieria recognized who the woman was by her attire: crimson and dark grey robes, with a large metal belt with chains dangling on each side and large shoulderpads on each of her shoulders. This was the woman who led the assault from the previous night and whose magic took away Wrathion.</p><p>"Inquisitor Xanesh!" Addressed to the cultists who approached her in a hasting pace. "We are being attacked!"<br/>"Dispose of them!" Yelled the Inquisitor in her shrieking voice.</p><p>"She's the one who took the dragon." Confirmed Lorga to Felassan, she turned to the demon hunter, certainty was detected in her voice: "He must be in that chamber."</p><p>Felassan gritted his teeth and tightened the warglaives in his hands; he watched as Xanesh was about to retreat to the chamber she emerged from. However, Felassan was about to disturb her withdrawal.<br/>He leaped in his air while spreading his demonic wings and flew towards the Inquisitor's direction while blasting felfire balls into the other cultists, clearing a path for Lorga.</p><p>Inquisitor Xanesh watched in disgust as the demon hunter was charging towards her, she gripped the dagger she held in her right hand and waved her free arm into Felassan's direction, launching a bolt of shadow magic into the demon hunter. Fortunately, Felassan has succeeded in dodging the void spell and leaped in front of the entrance of the chamber, blocking Xanesh from leaving.</p><p>Seeing the opportunity of fighting the head of the snake, Tieria motioned Caradin to follow when she saw Lorga transforming into the spirit wolf form and running towards the Inquisitor, completely dodging and ignoring the presence of the other cultists. The paladin and the warrior proceeded to do the same; as Caradin said - this was a rescue mission - not an assault, they did not have the time to fight every single cultist.</p><p>Tieria and Caradin ran side by side, with Tieria channeling a Light shield to defend them both from the enemies attack.<br/>Soon enough, Lorga, alongside Tieria and Caradin, reunited with Felassan and had Inquisitor Xanesh cornered.<br/>"Everyone inside, now!" Ordered Felassan, as he dodged Xanesh's spell.</p><p>Tieria was the first one to charge in the back chamber, followed by Caradin. Felassan opened his wings again to levitate in the air and kick the Inquisitor in her stomach, causing the human to fall down the stairs. Swiftly, the demon hunter followed the paladin and the dwarf.<br/>Lorga, who was still accompanied by the two fire elementals, watched as Xanesh began channelling a spell, gradually a tornado of void magic began enveloping the Inquisitor. The rest of the cultists were also catching on, joining their leader.</p><p>Before leaping in the other room, Lorga ordered her elemental guardians to cease from accompanying her and instead, the fire beings merged into one another and spread themselves across the entire staircase, forming a large firewall.</p><p>The chamber everyone was inside, resembled an athenaeum. It was quite a small room, with eight stone seats resting around the walls. It was faintly lit by only two braziers and it was indescribably warm.</p><p>Tieria, however, did not wander for too long to explore the chamber, for there was a figure standing in the center of the room which she immediately recognized.<br/>"Wrathion!" Called out Tieria loudly upon seeing the black dragon, standing on his knees in his half-elven form.</p><p>Both of his wrists were shackled, its chain going up towards the walls, forcing him to stand with his arms spread out widely. His hair was disheveled and his torso was bare, in the center of his chest, a large bruise was visible. Tints of void magic were seen on his ugly wound, and sweat was dripping off his body.</p><p>"Wrathion!" Repeated Tieria as she knelt in front of him. She reached out to gently cup his cheeks into her palm. "I'm here… We're here to save you."<br/>The dragon exhaled in reply, for he was too weakened to speak.<br/>"Get his chains down!" Ordered Lorga as she remained to press her entire body weight against the large door, for she knew it was only a matter of time until the cultists put out her firewall. "I'll hold the door."</p><p>Felassan and Caradin immediately charged to carry on the Farseer's order; both of them ran towards each of the chains. The demon hunter jumped in the air multiple times, each time slamming the lock of the chain with one of his warglaives. Caradin found himself climbing on the stone wall, although it was slightly difficult to reach the height in his heavy armor, he did succeed. And as he held himself on the way with one hand, he tirelessly hit the other chain with his long axe until it snapped open.</p><p>Ruckus and yelling was heard from the other side; the cultists were putting an end to Lorga's firewall and were readying themselves to break into the athenaeum.</p><p>"T-Tieria…" Breathed Wrathion with little strength he had in him. Tieria sighed in relief upon hearing the dragon's voice. He blinked weakly at her, and Tieria took it as a sign that N'Zoth's minions have failed in corrupting the dragon.<br/>"Are you in pain?" She whispered softly. Wrathion did not reply, he lowered his head as he breathed heavily.</p><p>As soon as his arms were no longer dangling in the air, Wrathion let his body fall on Tieria, as he was too weak to even hold his balance.<br/>Tieria grabbed him in an instant, letting his head rest on her shoulder while holding him tightly. Felassan swiftly ran towards Wrathion and knelt down to remove his metal shackles.</p><p>"Let's get outta here!" Said Caradin while swiftly reaching out to his backpack and pulling out the translocator, preparing his device to take them back to the Ebon Rest. "Farseer!" He called for Lorga; the orc pushed herself away from the door upon hearing the dwarf address to her, and leaped to rejoin her group.</p><p>Of course, the second the Farseer has unglued herself from the door, it opened widely, smashing itself against the walls as the remaining cultists burst through it.<br/>Inquisitor Xanesh walked with heavy steps, pushing herself through her minions to witness the intruders escaping with the Black Prince. Her dark brows furrowed together; the cultist leader inhaled deeply and void magic once again formed around her hand.</p><p>"You will serve the Master - or die!" She yelled out as she blasted her spell towards the group, hitting Caradin's machinery a moment before it vanished in thin air, alongside the group of the intruders and the black dragon.</p><p>Everyone felt a wave of light electricity running through them and only darkness was visible around them. Tieria held Wrathion close to her chest, as if she was afraid to lose the dragon to the darkness. They all grunted in pain and discomfort, unable to comprehend what was happening.</p><p>In a swift moment, the void vanished and everyone found themselves in the presence of the bright blue sky.</p><p>The unusual sound of seagulls and waves crashing upon the shore drove everyone into a panic. Soon enough, they realized that they were kneeling on the sand; and cold sea water was running through their lower bodies.</p><p>Felassan was the first one to jump out of the water and walk towards the shore; the rest followed up, with Tieria having one of Wrathion's arms wrapped around her shoulder as he aided the dragon in walking.<br/>The demon hunter glanced around, watching the unrecognizable ocean on the horizon. Then he turned to his sides, breathing heavily while analyzing the sand-white beaches.</p><p>"Caradin…" Began Felassan while looking behind him to witness the dense jungle. "We're not in the Ebon Rest…"</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Apparition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wrathion was breathing in an uncontrollable haste.</p><p>He felt too weak to even open his eyes. Thus, the dragon was unable to interpret where he was. He felt the sun burning his ebony skin and hot sand underneath him; yet, despite the blazing environment - the dragon was cold.</p><p>An annoying, ever-loud ringing sound echoed in his ears; he searched to grip upon something but failed as sand scattered away through his fingers.</p><p>In that very moment, Wrathion felt as if he was about to explode; pain and immense discomfort was all the dragon was experiencing. Though he was no longer chained, he still felt as if his entire body was shackled down. His muscles twitched in discomfort; with every quiver, a wave of pain followed.</p><p>He felt cemented in a never ending abyss.</p><p>Suddenly, the Black Prince felt a cold and soft hand cupping his left cheek. The touch was surprisingly refreshing. He was certain that given how delicate the feeling was, it was not Inquisitor Xanesh. The cultist of N'Zoth was nothing but cruel and harsh.</p><p>As weak as he was, Wrathion attempted to open his eyes. He battled against his closed eyelids; it took him multiple times, multiple blinks, until he was able to witness his surroundings. Despite his vision being blurred, the dragon realized that he was lying down on a beach. The strong, shining sun in the bright blue sky forced him to narrow his crimson eyes, shielding them from the blinding light.</p><p>Through the small opening between his eyelids, Wrathion saw a silhouette sitting down to his right side.</p><p>"Wrathion." Called out Tieria gingerly. "Wrathion, look at me." She pleaded softly while caressing his cheek.</p><p>Wrathion curved his mouth in an attempt to breathe some words to the paladin, but he felt too weak. He once again, shut down his eyes and worked on regaining his breathing to a stable pace. He heard Tieria continuing to call for him.<br/>Though he was unable to speak, the dragon reached out to her hand which was resting on his bare chest, covering it with his palm. He squeezed it gently in a sign that he still lives.</p><p>"We need to get him out of here!" Ordered Tieria to her comrades who were spread out around the beach. "He needs shelter to recover properly."<br/>"We <em>all</em> need shelter." Commented Caradin crotchety; he held the wet translocator in his hands, trying to untangle what malfunction caused them to teleport at a wrong location.</p><p>"Either we stay here and melt under this cursed sun." Exhaled Felassan, his dark violet skin sweating excessively. With a motion of his head, the demon hunter directed towards the dense vegetation which was seen beyond the beach as he breath: "Or we head into the jungle."</p><p>"Jungle." Stated Lorga simply. She was sitting down on the sand, quite further away from Tieria and everyone else.<br/>"The lizard is barely conscious." Ranted Caradin as he looked down upon an asleep Wrathion."How are we gonna move 'im?"<br/>"Tieria," Said Felassan as he approached Wrathion and the paladin."Lift him up."</p><p>The demon hunter turned his back to the dragon, which made Tieria realize that Felassan intended on carrying Wrathion on his back.</p><p>The templar watched as he slightly crouched, while she alongside Caradin,<em> (who angrily tossed his broken translocator back into his satchel)</em>, lifted Wrathion and gently laid him on Felassan's muscled back. The demon hunter held the dragon by his thighs while Tieria pulled his arms over Felassan's shoulders. Wrathion's dimmed face was buried into Felassan's right shoulder.</p><p>"He's surprisingly light." Observed the demon hunter, in neither cheery nor grim tone.<br/>"Next time let's see if ya can pick 'im up in his dragon form." Jested Caradin, to which Felassan chuckled lightly.</p><p>However, both of them wiped away their grins once they caught Tieria's glare. Clearly, the templar thought it was a completely inappropriate time for such sort of buffoonery.</p><p>"Let's get a move on." Ordered Tieria, her eyes still glaring at Caradin and Felassan.</p><p>They took a couple of steps, only to suddenly cease from walking upon hearing Lorga hissing in pain.<br/>Everyone turned to look upon the orc, who stood hunched, leaning towards her left leg. Tieria's brown eyes widened as soon as she examined Lorga. The orc's left calf was covered in one large, ugly bruise. A deep cut, which bled heavily laid vertically upon the green skin of her leg.</p><p>"Farseer!" Exclaimed Tieria in a gasp. "Your leg!"<br/>"A cultist managed to get to me while we ran towards Xanesh." Spat Lorga, in-between small pauses; her face was contorted as she tried to breathe away the pain. "Landing in <em>salty </em>sea water, certainly did not help."<br/>"Can ye walk?" Inquired Caradin, thinking to himself there would be no way he nor Tieria, would be able to carry such a tall and muscled orc like Lorga, alike Felassan carried Wrathion.</p><p>The Farseer nodded at the dwarf, she shut her eyes for a brief second, to inhale deeply.<br/>"I can." She replied. "I might simply be a step behind."<br/>"Farseer, I can try to heal it." Suggested Tieria while taking a step closer to the orc. She simply waved her hand off to the paladin.<br/>"While you were busy mounting the dragon on the demon hunter, I did as little healing I could." Replied Lorga. "It simply needs rests."</p><p>Tieria looked concerned over Lorga but ultimately nodded. Although she did know too much about the Farseer, the templar was well aware that insisting would not help neither her nor Wrathion. Or anyone else in the group at that matter. Everyone needed safe shelter with some food and water, and that's what she intended to search for.</p><hr/><p>They walked for hours; the tropical and lush jungle was offering them shield from the harsh sun, but the heat remained unforgiving.</p><p>Tieria and the others were uncertain for how long they walked; but it seemed like an eternity. An eternity of tall trees, dense grass and unrecognizable screech of wildlife. From afar, two immense mountains were rising from its green canopy.<br/>One would assume that the further they walk, they would eventually realize where the translocator has thrown them in. Unfortunately, the entire group had limited knowledge of their surroundings.</p><p>At some point, the heat became unbearable, forcing the Black Prince's champions to seek shelter next in some ruins which stood by a small pond.</p><p>Felassan gently laid Wrathion on the grass; as before, the dragon was unconscious and did not react to the demon hunter moving him. He breathed in and out in a quick pace, his eyes completely shut. Felassan took the liberty of splashing himself with the pond water to cool off.</p><p>Lorga inserted her injured foot into the cool water, exhaling loudly in relief upon feeling her bloody wound soaked in refreshing water. As she felt her muscles unwinding, the orc began examining the ruins, hoping to find a small hint which would inform her of their whereabouts.<br/>Her eyes searched every brick, studying the bright colors of yellow and blue stone, as well as harsh and linear patterns which were painted on the abandoned walls. But the particular arhitecture was alien to the Farseer.</p><p>Caradin and Tieria began filling up everyone's flasks of water. Tieria put her fur cloak underneath Wrathion's head, to give the dragon a little comfort. She approached him and lifted his head as she brought the flask of water to his mouth. Despite being in a sleeping state, Wrathion reached out to the flask and began drinking out of it, until he emptied the flask. Then the dragon resumed his slumber, as he laid to the ground once again, resting his head on the folded cloak.</p><p>"He's burning with fever…" Declared Tieria sorrowfully as she felt his warm forehead with her palm.<br/>"Dragons can get fever?" Inquired Caradin; although the dwarf was asking out of pure curiosity, the tone in his voice made it sound mocking.<br/>"Any creature can get sick, Caradin." Acknowledged the templar. "Why would dragons be different?"</p><p>Caradin pressed his lips thinly against each other, then he shook his head as he gave out a loud sigh. His blue eyes lingered upon the dragon, who was wet from his own sweat, had dry lips and his brows waggled in discomfort.</p><p>"What did they do ta' him?" Grunted Caradin while glancing at the exhausted black dragon.<br/>"Torture." Theorized Felassan while running his wet fingers through his long hair. The dwarf's eyes went over Wrathion's bare torso and arms, searching for wounds; then he gave a small shake with his head.<br/>"Not enough injures to look like a torture." Asserted Caradin unconvinced by the demon hunter's answer.<br/>"It did not have to be necessarily a physical one." Intervened Lorga, she dangled her injured leg softly through the water while removing her heavy pauldrons off her shoulders.</p><p>"They tried to bind him to the Corruptor; twist his mind into serving Him. For all we know, he might have gone through the same mental breakdown as his father." Continued the orc.<br/>Tieria swallowed heavily upon hearing that statement. She glanced down at Wrathion, with worry in her eyes. Gently, she began caressing his dark locks.</p><p>"He…" Tieria bit her lip, unwilling to even finish the sentence she had just begun phrasing. "He isn't corrupted, right?"<br/>"No." Replied Lorga confidently. "There would be a far greater reaction; we would know it. It is likely due to him combating against the corruption that he is unconscious."<br/>"Either way, we need to treat this fever." Stated Tieria as she held her palm against Wrathion's forehead once again.</p><p>Suddenly, footsteps were heard behind them, walking over the dense grass and leaves which laid on the ground. The entire group swiftly reacted to the noise.</p><p>Everyone turned to find a tall troll with grey-blue skin behind them. His hair was of aegean color, pulled back in a sleek ponytail; a headband was around his head, made out of thick gold, to keep hair strands away from his face. His long tusks were decorated with golden bracelets. His well toned chest was bare, revealing the stone patches which grew upon his skin, and golden tattoos painted in curious design.</p><p>He walked barefoot in the jungle; his only piece of clothing was a long, green kilt covering his legs. A brown satchel was resting over his left shoulder and he held a staff in his right hand made out of well-refined wood, with feather tied around its tip.</p><p>The troll was of Zandalar origin, the progenitor tribe from which all other troll tribes sprang. These trolls were the most powerful and superstitious, as well as one of the most ancient race to walk on Azeroth. Zandalari history had them fight off the aqir, ally with the mogu empire, fight the pandaren empire, explore the newly formed Great Sea, enslave the goblin race, and fight Hakkar the Soulflayer <em>twice</em>. They were a formidable race, as well as intimidating.</p><p>This particular troll, however, did not radiate with the frightening energy, history dictated his brethren had. He curiously watched over the group as they were cooling off by the pond, his blue eyes blinking rapidly. At some point he slightly tilted his head while examining everyone, resembling a curious cub, rather than a stalking lion.</p><p>Nobody breathed a single word. Tieria and her comrades were quietly watching the Zandalari troll while he simply blinked at them in return. It was unknown for long the silence dwelled. Nonetheless, at some point, the Zandalari broke the muteness:</p><p>"Ya be not from around here." Stated the troll in an exotic accent. "Wha'chu be doin' in dese jungles?" He inquired, quite amused rather than hostile.<br/>"<em>Sightseeing</em>!" Replied Caradin sarcastically. "What does it look like? We're freakin' lost!" The dwarf reiterated angrily as hunger and heat began affecting his mood.<br/>"Ya want ta sightsee, ya should visit the Grand Bazaar." Laughed the troll to Caradin's sarcasm. Caradin desired to clout him, for he did not find the troll's reply amusing.</p><p>The Zandalari caught the eye of Caradin's glare and dimmed away his smile. He proceeded to eye every member of the group, his dark brows frowned upon of Wrathion lying on the ground, breathing in a hasting pace.</p><p>"That fella does not look good." Stated the troll while glancing down to Wrathion. He daringly took a couple of steps forward to kneel down next to the dragon. Gracefully, he placed his large hand atop his forehead, feeling his heat.</p><p>Tieria attentively watched the troll, while eyeing his every move like a feline stalking its prey.<br/>When the first thought which crossed her mind was that this troll might be a cultist in disguise, who was about to use the Corruptor's magic to steal Wrathion away, the templar realized she was becoming paranoid.</p><p>"You are Zandalar." Pointed out Lorga. The sound of her voice caused the troll to redirect his gaze upon the orc. Lorga obviously pointed out the troll's tribe, however, she did not know where she intended on heading with that statement. The shaman simply wanted to speak to this stranger, expecting him to divulge any information of their whereabouts.</p><p>The troll nodded at her and resumed to stand on his feet; he took a couple of steps back as he spoke:</p><p>"Name's Haliki." The troll introduced himself politely. Once again, his blue eyes went around the group, this time he took his time in analyzing their broken and even missing pieces of armor, their dusty and scratched faces, and wet hair. "Looks like ya been through a crash." Speculated Haliki.</p><p>"You could say that." Grunted Caradin. "If ye could point us to the nearby town, we'll be grateful."<br/>"Getting ta town won't help." Laughed Haliki as he shook his head. "Some of us are barely adjustin' ta the strangers we currently have - we certainly do not need more."<br/>"We do not intend to bring harm to anyone." Said Tieria in a pleading tone. "We simply need shelter to recover and supplies."</p><p>Haliki looked upon Tieria, then again at Wrathion. His features softened upon watching the feverish dark half-elf. The troll clicked his tongue and nodded while gripping his staff tighter in his hand.</p><p>"Ya seem harmless indeed." Spoke the troll, then he waved his arm, gesturing the group to approach him. "Come, Haliki will take care of ya. We go to my home."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Wrathion blinked while watching his surroundings. He saw nothing but black walls of smoke. He did not feel warm or cold, he could not smell the air, he could not even hear anything besides his own breathing.</em>
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  <em>He thought back how he was chained in the athenaeum inside the Vault of the Shadowflame. The leader of the cultists, who called herself Xanesh, used sinister void magic upon him, weakening the dragon physically. Due to the retrains he was unable to defend himself, only stand on his knees and scream in agony while attempting to stay conscious.</em>
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  <em>Once he was weak enough, Xanesh redirected her spell into his chest. He felt as she pierced through his very heart and soul; void energies began traveling into his blood. He began hearing his own heartbeat, listening to it increasing its pace to an unnatural speed. The Black Prince wanted to grip something, but his shackles made it impossible. Hence he sought out to curl his hands into fists, piercing his nails so deeply into the skin of his palms that they began bleeding.</em>
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  <em>Soon enough, he began hearing the whispers of the Corruptor.</em>
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  <em>Wrathion felt nothing but pain and weakness for an untraceable amount of time. And yet, he refused to give in to N'Zoth's call.</em>
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  <em>Then, he witnessed Tieria's rescue through a blurry vision - a part of the dragon wasn't even certain that this event had actually occurred. He heard her voice and felt her touch, but it vanished in a blink of an eye. Soon enough N'Zoth's whispers, as well as the pain Xanesh caused him returned.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now, he found himself disoriented in a maze of darkness.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Let the tides draw you into my dream."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wrathion inhaled sharply as the Corruptor's malevolent voice pierced into his ears. He shut his eyes in hope to wake up into reality, for this seemed to be an illusion crafted out of nightmares.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"All that was sleeping... Shall be awakened."</em>
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  <em>The Black Prince felt his pulse racing, he opened his eyes only to witness that he still stood on the grey and empty ground, surrounded by black walls.</em>
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  <em>He turned behind him as he heard a demonic-like growl. A large n'raqi began approaching the black dragon. The monstrous creature, also known as the faceless ones, stomped towards Wrathion with heavy steps. Its large, grotesque and misshapen arms, resembled tentacles. An orange eye mutated itself out of one of its arms. The eye of the Corruptor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wrathion instinctively took a couple of steps back, until he would be pressed against the black wall. However, he realized that was no end to it - hence - the dragon has elected to run.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Haliki took the group through the jungle, on the same road they have traveled before; but at some point he began walking north. Once again they have reached the shores, and they have walked further than where they initially arrived via Caradin's translocator.</p><p>There, upon the silver sands of the beach, was a modest wooden house. Not far from a village which was called Zeb'ahari.</p><p>As soon as they entered inside, they were in the main chamber of the house. It was a large area with multiple carpets of various colours and patterns laid on the wooden floor. A staircase leading to the second floor, was situated in the right corner of the room, right next to the entrance door.</p><p>Decorative masks and skulls were placed on nearly every side of the wall; the large window, which had the view of the sea, was half covered by a set of beautiful velvet drapes. Despite the drapes, the room was exceedingly bright.</p><p>Next to the window was a circular black table, with five chairs arranged around and a large bowl of exotic fruits laying in the middle of the table. On the floor, in between the table and the stairs, was a collection of pillows, pelt, and armchairs, their legs and armrest were made out of gold.</p><p>Finally, various small dressers were arranged against the walls, its shelves and surfaces filled with all sorts of belongings: towels, bottles, parchments, and small locked chests. The room was also decorated with plants of different colors and sizes, seeded in assorted pots.</p><p>"Put 'im here." Ordered Haliki as he walked towards the door from the back of the room and opened it. As he gave the order to Felassan, the troll pointed with his finger to the room. The demon hunter proceeded to do as he was tasked, bringing Wrathion to what seemed to be a spare bedroom, with nothing but a single bed, a nightstand and modest dresser arranged inside.</p><p>Gently he arranged the dragon on the soft bed, atop the collection of assorted furs and pelts. Then, the demon hunter returned to the main room, where Haliki was giving a description of his house:</p><p>"There be a washroom on the right door. Each of you may take a bath." Said the troll while pointing at the door he has just spoken of. "To the left is de kitchen. Upstairs be me bedroom - do not go dere." He pleaded, then he clasped his hands together. "I be bringing ya some clean clothes now."</p><p>"Wrathion is running with high fever." Began Tieria while approaching Haliki, her face painted in discomfort. "I'd rather have you take care of him at this moment."<br/>The troll's face scrutinized upon the paladin, he lifted a finger and waved it in a scolding manner.</p><p>"Ya not ta be bossy in Haliki's house!" Chided the troll. Tieria pressed her lips firmly against each other, then spoke again, only to be interrupted by Haliki:<br/>"But Wrathion-"<br/>"I be handlin' him." He said reassuringly. "Now go! Take a bath - if ye be stayin' at my house, ya need ta smell nice."</p><p>Tieria bit her tongue and eyed everyone. Mutely she declared she'll be the first one to wash up by entering the washroom.</p><p>As soon as the templar went to take the bath, Haliki went to the upper chamber; in the meantime, Lorga, alongside Caradin and Felassan took the liberty of sitting down on the comfortable pillows, letting their sore bodies relax against the soft material.<br/>Only when they finally sat down, did the group of skilled warriors realized how exhausted they were.</p><p>Soon enough, Haliki returned downstairs, with a bundle of robes, tunics and breeches in his arms.</p><p>"Ye be comin' in various shapes and sizes." Began the Zandalari while looking down at the pieces of attires he held. "But I hope ya can find anythin' comfortable to wear out of this." He said as he extended three pairs of breeches and four tunics to Caradin and Felassan. As soon as the demon hunter grabbed the clothes, Haliki turned to Lorga, he gripped the robe in his hands as his eyes roamed the orc.</p><p>"My wife was as curvy as you, but you be bustier." Commented the troll, while extending the robe to Lorga. "Hope it fits."</p><p>Lorga grabbed the robe from Haliki with a glare in her eyes; she disliked the way the troll commented on her body. Only her mate, Rehgar, was allowed to make such a sort of observation of her appearance. However, as she searched his face, the orc saw nothing but innocence. Clearly, he meant nothing by it.</p><p>"<em>'Was'</em>?" Repeated Caradin upon hearing the past tense at the mention of the troll's wife. His mind swiftly made an assumption which prompted the dwarf to say: "I am sorry."<br/>"What'cha be sorry about?" Inquired Haliki. Caradin blinked, uncertain if his question was genuine.<br/>"Y-you're a widower?" Muffled Caradin timidly.<br/>"Widower? Bah!" Laughed the Zandalari. "The bitch left! And good riddance!" He waved his arms in the air as he muttered under his breath: "Always bossy, statin' I care more about dinosaurs than her."</p><p>Then Haliki approached the door to the washroom Tieria's was in, knocked on the door and opened it very narrow to slide in a long red robe with a golden sash.</p><p>"Dis be for ya, tiny one." He spoke to Tieria. Then he closed the door and wiped his hands against one another as he continued to speak:<br/>"I be tending to yer fever friend. Make yaself at home." Then Haliki went inside the back room, to examine Wrathion. Leaving Lorga, Felassan and Caradin to rest by themselves in his house.</p><p>"Well!" Exhaled Caradin while scratching his beard. "That's one friendly troll."<br/>"The Zandalari aren't as hostile as some make them to be." Stated Lorga while taking a seat in a chair by the table. Her eyes went over the bowl of fruit which lay in the middle of the table. She took the liberty of taking what seemed to be a mango and took a large bite out of it.<br/>"Aren't they part of the Horde?" Inquired Caradin while looking at Lorga. "I've heard rumours."</p><p>The orc did not reply at first, given that she was busy chewing the fruit. She meditated upon the dwarf's question. Lorga has not been actively participating in the Horde's operation for many years already, but she has always kept up with the recent events.</p><p>She has heard of the Horde coming to the Zandalari to recruit them into its rank for the arising conflict between the Horde and the Alliance; but she also knew that the Zandalari leader was not too keen to serve a Warchief.</p><p>"Some representatives of the Horde have reached out to the Zandalari people." Explained the orc while eyeing her bitten fruit. "But King Rastakhan has not reached any agreement with the Horde just yet. Many say that he is too proud to be serving anymore; can't say I'm surprised given that Rastakhan titles himself <em>'God-King'.</em>"</p><p>Caradin opened his mouth for a follow-up question, but was interrupted upon hearing the door to the washroom being opened. Tieria emerged from the bath exceptionally swift.<br/>Her hair was wet, laying on her shoulders with its tips dripping with water. She was dressed in the robe Haliki has lended to her; which consisted out of two pieces: a top and a kilt.</p><p>The top was red and sleeveless, and it only covered her breasts. It could be sealed by tying its two sashes around the back of her neck.<br/>The kilt was also of a red colour, with decorative golden patterns around the end and start of the skirt. Tieria had to tie the golden belt around her waist twice, since the kilt was too large for her. And given that it was too long, she also had to arrange the skirt at her abdominal muscles. Nevertheless, a big portion of it was lying on the floor, making it annoying for the templar to move.</p><p>Everyone watched the freshly-bathed paladin dressed in the comical large robe. Her face was still distressed, and her eyes shined weakly.</p><p>"I am going to check on Wrathion." Muttered Tieria quietly while walking towards the chamber Wrathion was in.<br/>"Tia." Addressed Caradin tenderly. "Sit down. Take a breath; eat a fruit." Pleaded the dwarf compassionately. "The troll is handlin' him; yer gotta rest and heal as well."<br/>"My wound is fine." Stated Tieria, while reaching out to the scratch on the side of her torso.</p><p>"We haven't slept or eaten since Storm Peaks." Insisted Caradin. The templar stood silently, her lips twitching in discomfort as she grew impatient.<br/>"I am going to check on Wrathion." She repeated coldly.</p><p>Tieria did not let Caradin leave any response, for she immediately walked inside the other room, shutting the door behind her.</p><p>Upon entering the room, she glanced at Haliki standing next to the bed Wrathion rested on. The troll was waving his arms around while glistening magic enveloped his body. It sparkled in bright green waves, with faded images of leaves and various kinds of flowers.<br/>The templar's eyes widened upon the sight of this magic; she instantly recognized it.</p><p>"You are a druid!" Exclaimed Tieria while recalling witnessing such healing techniques from tauren and night elf druids who aided the Argent Crusade in restoring the lands of Eastern and Western Plaguelands.<br/>Haliki merely turned his head and nodded at the paladin, then swiftly resumed to focus on Wrathion.</p><p>Tieria watched silently how a tiny green wisp swirled above Wrathion's injured chest. The dragon seemed to be breathing at a regular pace, but he was still unconscious. Slowly he breathed in and out, his disheveled ebony hair rested like a dark halo around the pillow.</p><p>In order to examine him, Haliki had stripped Wrathion off his breeches. The dragon laid down in nothing but black undergarments.</p><p>"I am sorry for being rude earlier." Apologized Tieria. As short as it was, the bath was refreshing and it relaxed her more than she anticipated, slightly lifting her spirits.<br/>The troll simply shook off his head in a sign of 'no harm done', and resumed to look at Wrathion.</p><p>"Dis be a dark magic curse upon him." Exhaled Haliki in disbelief. Tieria swallowed heavily at the troll's sentence, she interpreted as if healing the dragon was a lost cause. He noticed the distress on her soft features, it made him speak softer:</p><p>"Dese injuries… Do not seem out of this world." Stated the Zandalari druid wistfully.<br/>"He was tortured. By cultists practicing void magic. They wanted... To succumb him to their Master." Explained Tieria melancholic. She has decided to come out with the truth, for there was no reason to keep their situation hidden from someone who was kind enough to open the door to his own house.</p><p>Haliki did not look as surprised as she anticipated, but the troll's eyes were still shining troubled. He licked his grey-blue lips while he examined Wrathion. He was processing what Tieria had just told him while the templar attentively watched him.<br/>She was unable to detect the age of the troll; however, the shine he had in his blue eyes and his collected expression allowed Tieria to theorize that Haliki has a lot of experience and wisdom in many matters.</p><p>"Dis torture you speak of, might have broken his mind." Assumed the troll. "However, I can that he be fightin' it."<br/>"Everytime I heal him with the Light - he comes back. Only for a brief moment..." Explained Tieria while gazing with sorrow upon the unconscious dragon.</p><p>"Ya be a prelate?" Questioned Haliki upon hearing the mention of the Light. Tieria's eyes narrowed as she did not understand the question; she had never heard of the term "<em>prelate</em>".<br/>He instantly observed her puzzlement and proceeded with an explanation:</p><p>"A holy warrior who uses the Light to serve the loa Rezan, king of Kings!" Described Haliki enthusiastically. Tieria blinked surprised to have learned another term for a paladin.<br/>"I <em>am</em> a holy warrior..." She declared humbly. "However, I do not serve this… <em>Rezan</em> entity."<br/>"I see." Nodded Haliki."Well, ya Light and my healin' - as well as my special soup - will put this fella back on his feet." Said the troll while smiling through his tusks; his grin was oddly charming, causing Tieria's cheeks to flush in a light pink.</p><p>"I will begin tha cookin', ya may remain here ta keep an eye on him."<br/>Tieria glanced down at Wrathion, while Haliki walked towards the door. She watched as the dragon slept; sadly it could not be said that he slept peacefully. Uneasiness dawned on his face, and he continued to sweat.</p><p>"You said he is fighting it." Spoke Tieria, interrupting Haliki from leaving the room just yet. Although she was addressing the troll, her eyes remained upon the Black Prince. "Can our healing truly help him?"<br/>"Ya mentioned it yaself." Haliki began. "He comes briefly every time ya use your Light. He has ta fight this battle on his own - but our healin' can guide him."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Wrathion continued running. He ran from the faceless one who was chasing him through the abyss. The Corruptor laughed, his orange eye watched as the dragon was desperately trying to escape the dark maze.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sweat was dripping off him as more n'raqi began coming after him; they were joined by other ugly manifestations of N'Zoth.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Come, my chosen. Witness the fate of this world.." Echoed the Old God's maleficent voice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Black Prince ignored The Corruptor's command. Unrelenting - he ran.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A large, red gateway was visible on his horizon. Given the fact that he was stuck into the darkness, Wrathion took a leap and went inside the mysterious portal. He emerged on a platform, standing in a different world.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Massive black citadels and temples loomed before the Black Prince; rivers of lava cracked in-between. There was no grass, no trees, not even sun. Only a crimson sky, with tentacles slithering above. The cunning n'raqi and resilient aqir were swarming the so-called 'streets' of this burgeoning civilization.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wrathion breathed in and out loudly, gazing upon this shadow domain which extended as far as his eyes could see. A shiver went down upon his spine as the dragon realized he stood before the Black Empire itself. The dark civilization established by the Old Gods, where they ruled over Azeroth. Not only N'Zoth, but also the rest of his kin - Y'Shaarj, C'Thun, and Yogg-Saron commanded that domain.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Black Prince took a step back startled; he heard a loud, powerful roar echoing in the skies. He raised his ebony head only to have his mouth hang open and eyes widened as he saw a massive black dragon swarming upon the skies of the Black Empire.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This dragon was horrendously mutated: fires of lava fractured in between his black scales, his eyes shined in a fierce red color. His massive wings were torn and burnt in various areas.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wrathion was appalled to look at this creature, this was what would become of a dragon, if one would fall to the whispers of the Old God. <strong>This</strong> is what has happened to his father.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The corrupted black dragon continued to fly, his grotesque wings flapped loudly, forming a strong wind. The Black Prince remained looking at him, attempting to untangle why this dragon felt so familiar to him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The corrupted dragon let out another ear-breaking roar, it forced Wrathion to cover his own ears since the screech caused him pain. Then the dragon spoke, in a deep echoing and commanding voice, which made even the mountains to shake in fear:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Kneel before me: Wrathion, the Black Emperor!"</em>
</p><hr/><p>Caradin slurped the soup loudly. He had no idea what ingredients were in this food, but it was one of the best meals the dwarf has ever eaten. Swiftly, he filled his spoon with the cream-red liquid and brought it up to his mouth, letting the spicy and warm taste fill his mouth.</p><p>He directed his eyes to look upon Felassan, who was seated across from him. The demon hunter ate quietly and frankly, quite hesitant too, given that thiswas not in his kind dietary. Ever since his demonic transformation, Felassan rarely ate, and if he did - it was an odd variety of food - such as demon meat.</p><p>Nonetheless, the demon hunter did not desire to be rude to their kind host, who has prepared a large amount of food, enough to serve everyone.</p><p>Caradin heard footsteps approaching, he lifted his head when he realized Haliki stood next to him with a pot in his hands.</p><p>"More? Dis soup be far better than any meals my wife cooked for me." Inquired the troll while gesturing with his eyes at the pot filled with soup.<br/>Caradin eagerly nodded, then proceeded to look how Haliki refilled his bowl.</p><p>As soon as the dwarf began eating his second portion, Haliki turned to Farseer Lorga, who was seated on the comfortable armchair. The orc ate her meal with haste, and now she rested in the soft seat, bandaging her wounded leg. She shook her head at Haliki's offer, Felassan did the same, prompting the troll to return to the kitchen with his pot of soup.</p><p>The sound of the plate sliding loudly against the table made Lorga and Caradin turn their attention to Felassan, the demon hunter pushed the empty dish away from him. He rested his arms on the table while slightly hunching his back.</p><p>"We need a plan to get out of here. We cannot remain hiding in this troll's house." Spoke Felassan as discreetly as possible. "The enemy might find us again."<br/>"They <em>will</em> find us again." Said Lorga with certainty; she breathed those words so simply, as if none should be alarmed by the harsh truth she has just spoken. "We need to get back to the Ebon Rest if we wish to hide from the Corruptor and his minions."</p><p>Caradin's eyes went between Lorga and Felassan, watching the conversation between the orc and the demon hunter while he remained to eat not-so-silently. He realized he had to partake to this discussion, but the dwarf felt too exhausted for it.</p><p>"Is there any way you could fix your translocator, Caradin?" Felassan asked which made Caradin curse in his mind. It was a matter of time until someone would inquire him of this.<br/>"The cultists' magic <em>and</em> the water have damaged the bloody thing beyond repair." Stated the dwarf grumpily while wiping his mouth and beard with his hand.</p><p>A sigh of disappointment escape Lorga's lips; while remaining seated, she pulled the closest chair from the table, positioning it in front of her, so she could extend her bandaged injured leg.</p><p>"Then we have to find another way to return to Kalimdor." Demanded Felassan in a stone expression.<br/>"I don't even know where we are on the map!" Exclaimed Caradin. "How far are we from Kalimdor?"</p><p>Felassan shrugged; the demon hunter was as clueless as the dwarf. Both of them turned to Lorga, expecting for her to give an answer given that the shaman has proven to be very knowledgeable in various aspects; from the history of Azeroth, to its geography and races. Although she recognized Haliki belonging to the Zandalari tribe - not even the Farseer knew where the great troll nation was located.</p><p>The orc eyed both of them with narrowed eyes, discomfort was forming on her face.</p><p>"I don't know either." She confessed after a long pause and began rubbing her eyes.<br/>"Ya be in the South Seas. On Zandalar Isle." Haliki's voice was heard.</p><p>The three of them turned to see the troll standing by the door of the kitchen, with a tray in his hands which was filled with a couple of ceramic glasses and a large jug. The group was silent; everyone began wondering how much of the conversation had Haliki overheard.</p><p>"Kalimdor be far." Continued the troll as he walked towards the table to place the tray atop of it.<br/>"What's this?" Inquired Caradin while looking at the golden jug, with a troll skull sculpted on its body, and decorated with gems.<br/>"Mojo'ito." Replied Haliki. "Ta ease ya spirits. Helped me soul ta' forget about the bitch of my wife." The troll laughed, and left the group to rejoin Tieria to aid in healing Wrathion in the other room.</p><p>There was silence in the room. Everyone felt a small panic taking over them after learning they are in the South Seas. History talked of the South Seas as the most deadly body of water, where most of the action was swashbuckling, the unique civilizations were composed of creatures such as the naga, and most of the ancient mysteries were the most dangerous.</p><p>One could not merely travel across these particular waters without owning the most skilled crew, and the best crafted ship Azeroth has seen. And one could not acquire that so simply.</p><p>"So, we are stuck in the middle of an isle, with a troll who has marital issues." Fumed Lorga, breaking the unsettling silence.<br/>"I do not think they are marital anymore…" Intervened Felassan quietly. "Just... <em>Issues</em>."</p><p>Lorga rolled her eyes, and exhaled in annoyance.</p><p>"He <em>does</em> talk often about his wife…" Mumbled Caradin while touching the gold skull which decorated the jug of unknown beverage. "Somethin' tells me he's not as over her as he thinks."<br/>"<em>Either way</em>." Exhaled Lorga once more while turning to look at the dwarf and the demon hunter. "Perhaps we should first see the dragon's recovery. Afterwards, we can go on with the plan. I am certain Wrathion will have an input for our next step."</p><p>Felassan and Caradin nodded, agreeing to Lorga's words. It seemed most sensible to first focus on ensuring Wrathion is recovering; without him - their quest could not proceed.<br/>And if by any chance, the cultists would return while they are sheltering at Haliki's - they would be ready for a second battle against them.</p><p>Felassan looked at Caradin, whose gaze was fixated upon the shining jug Haliki had offered them.</p><p>"You are planning on drinking that, aren't you?" Queried the demon hunter rhetorically.<br/>"Bah! Why not?" Jabbered Caradin as he slammed his palms upon the table.</p><p>He dragged three glasses in front of him, and opened the jug. As he began pouring the drink into each glass, filling only half of it, the dwarf spoke:<br/>"We <em>should</em> celebrate! We rescued the lizard in one piece, and we all survived."</p><p>After putting away the jug, he gave a glass to Felassan and rose out of his chair to hand one to Lorga, then the dwarf lifted his glass in front of the demon hunter and the Farseer:<br/>"To surviving!"</p><p>Despite their stone expression, Lorga and Felassan toasted their glasses against Caradin, the sound of glasses knocking themselves against each other echoed in the room. Then, they all took a large gulp out of their drink.<br/>The Zandalar liquor tasted surprisingly bitter… <em>And</em> spicy; it felt as their throats had just been set on fire.</p><p>Caradin exhaled a laugh at the taste of the strong drink, while Felassan hissed in pleasure. It was only Farseer Lorga who narrowed her eyes and twisted her lips upon the taste.<br/>Caradin blink at Lorga and watched as the orc put aside her glass, still with a contorted face.</p><p>"<em>Oh</em>? Could it be, the mighty Farseer is unable to hold her liquor?" Inquired Caradin teasingly, to which Lorga replied with a glare.<br/>"I am not one with an affinity for alcohol. Last time I had such a strong drink was before I was with child. Which was…" The Farseer took a pause while numbering the years had passed. "More than two decades ago."<br/>"Yer a mother?" Asked Caradin in a tone mixed with curiosity and disbelief, while attempting to picture the orc carrying an infant.</p><p>The dwarf took a seat on the comfortable pillow, as he watched Lorga giving him a nod as her lips curled in a smile.</p><p>"Of a beautiful boy named Rokash." Replied the Farseer dreamingly.<br/>"<em>Huh</em>… So… Yer married then?"<br/>"Orcs don't '<em>marry</em>'. We find a lifemate." She explained, her eyes softening at the thought of her family. "And yes - I have one."</p><p>Caradin nodded and took another sip out of his drink, still unable to imagine a 'motherly' Lorga. Having a conversation of mates, made him think of his beloved Eleina, who remained back in Hearthglen.<br/>With the disaster of events which happened so far, and most likely would happen in the future, Caradin felt a grip in his heart. He began wondering if he would return in time for his wedding; or if he would even come back to his wedding.</p><p>"This drink is not half-bad." Commented Felassan, completely off topic, breaking Caradin's thoughts. The demon hunter still remained seated at the table, though he has assumed a more relaxed pose in his chair.</p><p>Seeing Felassan in such a breezy state caused the dwarf to grin. He found amusing to see a half-demon night elf, sitting nonchalantly while enjoying a Zandalar drink. Caradin gazed down at his glass, watching the blurred image of face through the reflection of his drink, as he continued to think of Eleina.</p><p>He brought the glass to his mouth to take another sip of the exotic beverage. Quietly to himself, he toasted in Eleina's health - and for his return home.</p><hr/><p>Tieria twisted the piece of cloth with as much strength as possible, to relieve it of all the water it soaked. She watched as dripples of water were falling down into the bowl from the nightstand.</p><p>Then she resumed to place the damp cloth on Wrathion's forehead; gently she dipped the cloth around his face to wipe away the sweat off his dapper features. Fortunately his fever has cooled off, however the dragon was still barely reacting to any of her words.</p><p>The templar briefly turned her head upon hearing the door opening; she smiled faintly as Haliki entered the room. Once again she looked at the dragon, while placing the towel on the edge of the bowl.</p><p>"His fever is gone." Reported Tieria quietly to the troll. "And I managed to feed him a bit of soup."<br/>Haliki nodded to Tieria's sentence as he took a seat on the chair next to her while watching Wrathion.</p><p>"He's… Twitching every now and then." Continued the templar. "His face becomes twisted, his muscles tense… It is as if he's going through a nightmare."<br/>"He might be." Said Haliki while scratching his chin. He lifted his gaze to look at the templar, his eyes were exploring the features on her face. "Ya should be listenin' to ya hairy friend and take a break."</p><p>Tieria blinked at Haliki, wondering if she looked that bad, given his worrying expression. She exhaled in defeat, brushing the hair off her face and looked up at Haliki once more. She could not lie to herself: she was <em>exhausted;</em> but she could not rest while knowing that Wrathion was going through a mental torture.</p><p>"One more time." She whispered quietly. "Then I'll let you take over." The troll nodded silently, proceeded to watch what Tieria was about to do next.</p><p>The paladin took in a deep breath as she whispered to the Light. Her left palm suddenly began glowing into the warm and bright essence of the Light. Tieria guided her hand to Wrathion's chest, softly placing her palm on him; covering the ugly bruise, imprinted with void magic, which lingered in the center of his chest.</p><p>"Please, Wrathion." Muttered Tieria under her breath. "Come back to us."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Wrathion watched his corrupted self roaring fiercely, echoing throughout the Black Empire.</em>
</p><p>
  <em><strong>This</strong> what would happen to him if he would succumb to the whispers of the Old God.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Black Empire would return to its prime and once again - the Old Gods would be the rulers of this world - and Wrathion, <strong>its Emperor.</strong></em>
</p><p>
  <em>The strength, the might, the fear his corrupted form radiated was… Astonishing. No mortal or even immortal being could begin to comprehend such power.</em>
</p><p><em>The Black Emperor flew on the platform, landing right in front of Wrathion. The Black Prince was uncertain if his own self would cause harm to him, but instinctively he took a step back. He watched the corrupted dragon standing before him, his gaze piercing </em> <em>Wrathion's soul.</em></p><p>
  <em>Before Wrathion could do any sort of action, a female voice was heard coming from the side. She screamed as she charged towards the Black Emperor. Unaware of his presence, she kicked Wrathion to the side, pushing the dragon to fall on the ground.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dazed by the situation, Wrathion had a difficult time resuming on his feet; hence, he remained on the ground. He lifted his head to witness what was occurring and who was this woman who had appeared from thin air.</em>
</p><p><em>Wrathion's crimson eyes widened upon the sight in front of him. Tieria stood before the corrupted version of himself. She held a large longsword in her hands, her armor did not consist of her matte-gold kilt he always saw her in; instead her attire was a set of shining heavy armor made out entirely out of gold. Dark blue cloak was wrapped around her, and she wore a helmet resembling a downwards crown, shielding her forehead and cheeks.<br/></em> <em>Her hair was disheveled and even her eyes shined in gold color. She glared at the Black Emperor with nothing but hatred.</em></p><p>
  <em>"Tieria…" Breathed out Wrathion while looking at her. Unable to understand what sort of trickery N'Zoth was attempting to pull by showing such a vision.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tieria charged towards the corrupted dragon with her entire speed, lifting her sword in the air as she was ready to strike. The Black Emperor laughed mockingly at the paladin's heroism, and lifted his mighty claw, planning on crushing her like an insect.<br/>She has succeeded in blocking his first attack by casting a light shield in front of herself, but The Black's Emperor's attack was far stronger. He broke her shield and impaled his claw right into Tieria's chest, breaking through her golden armor and staining it with her own blood.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wrathion cried out, horrified to witness his own self piercing his claw as deep as he could into Tieria. The colour from his face drained as he rose on his feet and began running towards Tieria.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She immediately fell from the wound, collapsing in the pool of her blood and dropping her sword on the ground in process. The Black Emperor's attack was fatal and swift. In a mere blink of an eye, he took the life of the noble paladin.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In that moment, Wrathion forgot that he was in an illusion, for the pain in his heart was real. He ran towards Tieria and knelt before her.<br/>The dragon pulled her into his lap. Her lifeless eyes were widely open, and blood was dripping from the left corner of her lip.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He looked up at the Black Emperor, who remained standing in front of them. The corrupted dragon was proud of his actions; Wrathion easily read that in his eyes which made him feel disgusted. He glared at his corrupted self; hatred began swirling in his soul.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As he held the lifeless Tieria in his arms, N'Zoth's voice once again echoed:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Receive my gift and see all truths before you."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I do not desire <strong>your</strong> truth." Gritted Wrathion between his teeth. If N'Zoth intended on displaying the vision of Tieria's death in order to bring the Black Prince to his side, then the Old God was making a grave mistake. This only fueled Wrathion's hatred for him.</em>
</p><p><em>He shut his eyes, attempting to escape this ugly nightmare. Once again, he was surrounded by darkness, but the Black Empire, as well as its Emperor, vanished. However, Tieria still remained in his arms.<br/></em> <em>Wrathion felt slightly relieved, he believed he was close to escaping and waking up to reality. He could almost taste it.</em></p><p>
  <em>The dragon looked down upon the templar, her face drained away from its beautiful ivory color. Gently he pushed her eyelids to shut down her eyes and wiped away the blood off her soft lips.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Look at you, cuddling a mortal." A low, hostile male voice was heard from the abyss. Wrathion lifted his gaze to look in front of him, watching a tall figure approach him from the shadows. He walked with heavy, loud steps, pieces of metals clinging against each other with his every move.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Soon enough, the silhouette revealed itself; it belonged to a muscled human man with grey skin and red eyes. Short black hair was combed back, and he wore heavy black armor with shoulderpads depicting dragon horns. Around his neck, he had an unusual metal collar, which covered his chin and a portion of his lower lip.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Though Wrathion has never met this human, he knew who he was.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Neltharion.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Wrathion's gaze darkened upon the sight of his father standing in front of him in his humanoid form.</em>
</p><p><em>"Have you not been through enough? Will you continue to fight what you cannot defeat?" Scolded Neltharion, his voice filled with nothing but resentment.<br/></em> <em>"Do not presume you know what I have been through." Replied Wrathion just as antagonistic.<br/></em> <em>"Your quest is nothing but pathetic. Embrace what we are, what <strong>I</strong> made us to be." Neltharion's fists curled as he spoke, his cold gaze remained fixated on Wrathion who still stood on his knees, however with his head he gestured at Tieria: "You do not need this weakness."</em></p><p>
  <em>Wrathion's lips curled in disgust, his glare ever remained upon the illusion of his father. He found himself clenching Tieria tighter, bringing her close to his chest.</em>
</p><p><em>"I will not share your madness." Stated the Black Prince as he shook his head slowly. "I won't follow in your footsteps." Gradually Wrathion began raising his voice. "I will fight how I see fit, with whom I see fit - and restore our kin. <strong>My</strong> kin!" Despite his final words echoing loudly within the abyss, Neltharion's expression remained stone.<br/></em> <em>"You will fail."<br/></em> <em>"I am not you, Worldbreaker!" Said Wrathion sharply. "<strong>I</strong> will fulfil the true task of the Earth-Warder - protect Azeroth, which <strong>you</strong> have failed!"</em></p><p>
  <em>Neltharion scoffed at the Black Prince. His black lips curled in an ugly smile.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Every action you took in defending this world has done nothing but harm it." Pointed out Deathwing. "Your plan to unite the Alliance and Horde under one banner during the Siege of Orgrimmar? Failure. Your task in returning heroes for the upcoming Burning Legion invasion? Disaster. You cannot do anything, without having mortals constantly protecting you." Neltharion laughed at Wrathion's glare and pointed at Tieria. "You could not even save her from yourself."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Wrathion inhaled sharply and gently released Tieria from his arms and rested her on the grey ground. His crimson eyes glanced upon her sword which laid not too far from him. Swiftly, he snatched it by its hilt and rose on his feet to charge towards the illusion of his father. Neltharion simply stood there, his brows knitted together in confusion.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Black Prince screamed out as he pierced the golden sword into Neltharion's chest, he watched as cracks of golden light began emitting through Deathwing's armor and face. Soon enough, his father released a banshee like-screech as the rays of light shined out of him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The light was so powerful, Wrathion forced himself to shut his eyes and even cover them with his hands. Once again he heard the annoying ringing sound in his ears; blending with the screeches of the illusion who was still screaming...</em>
</p><hr/><p>Wrathion opened his eyes widely; the cool air and the unusual scent of fruits made him realize he was in fact awake into the reality. Though he was still unaware of his surroundings, the soft pillow and comfortable pelts he laid in, indicated he was in a more or less safe environment.</p><p>Night has descended in the chamber the Black Prince was in. Moonlight was shining faintly through the window, and a small candle, lit to his left side, was arranged on a nightstand.</p><p>He blinked slowly as he gazed emptily upon the dark ceiling, soaking in the reality, by firmly gripping the soft pelts, feeling the fur through his fingers. Then he turned to his side, to find a chair dragged to the side of the bed and none other but Tieria sleeping in it, with her feet clenched to her chest. She rested one elbow on the armrest, with her head resting on her hand, while the other one was lying atop the cover of a leather-bound book.</p><p>Despite what seemed to be an uncomfortable position, the templar slept serene - breathing slowly in and out, her muscles visibly relaxed.</p><p>Wrathion quietly watched her; an usual feeling began swirling through the dragon. The sight of her made him feel relieved, calm. Though numerous questions ran through his mind - <em>"How did they escape from the cultists? And where were they?"</em> - Wrathion did not wish to wake up Tieria to pose those questions just yet.</p><p>Realizing he was very thirsty, the dragon's eyes settled on the jug of water and the ceramic mug. Slowly, still feeling weakened, Wrathion lifted his torso and extended both of his arms towards the nightstand to pour water in the glass. He proceeded cautiously, as to not wake up the sleeping templar.<br/>He felt a wave of freshness upon the first sips of water he drank; the dragon could not hold himself from releasing a loud exhale in satisfaction. It made him bit his tongue upon realizing how loud the noise he was.</p><p>The Black Prince looked up at Tieria, her soft features still in slumber. His gaze lingered upon her for a while, as he admired her every feature: her round face with the long scar resting across her right upper cheek; her petite nose, decorated with a silver ring around her left nostril; her thinly shaped eyebrows; the long black eyelashes, dangled in each other as her eyes were shut; and finally her pale pink lips, pressed lightly against one another.</p><p>Wrathion has seen many mortals in his lifetime, coming from various cultures and backgrounds - but there was something about Tieria which caught the dragon's eye. And the Black Prince failed to untangle what it was.</p><p>As if she felt his eyes on her, Tieria let out a soft moan; she began stretching in her chair. Slowly the templar blinked and eventually her eyes fully opened.<br/>They immediately made eye-contact, and a smile formed on her pink lips upon the sight of the awakened dragon. He returned the smile, goosebumps formed on his ebony skin upon hearing her soft voice:</p><p>
  <em>"Wrathion…"</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Allurement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(◕‿◕✿)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Wrathion…" Tieria exhaled in a whisper, still half sleep. Wrathion watched as the templar began stretching her arms. She then proceeded to get out from the chair and sit on the edge of the bed, sliding close to the dragon. The dragon lifted his torso to rest against the wooden wall of the bed, so he could have a better view of Tieria.<br/>"You are finally awake." She breathed with a smile, despite the limited volume of light in the chamber - through the light of the candle, Wrathion saw her eyes sparkling with elation. "How are you feeling?"</p><p>The Black Prince did not reply at first; he sincerely did not <em>know </em>how precisely he felt. He certainly was still feeling weakened, both physically as well as mentally; perhaps even slightly shaken from the illusion of walking in the realm of the Black Empire, talking to an image of his father while holding the lifeless body of Tieria in his arms.</p><p>However, the fact that he had just been at the edge of falling into corruption caused the dragon's blood to pump into adrenaline. Now, the Black Prince simply wanted to march into Ny'alotha, and incinerate the Corruptor himself.</p><p>"As if I've been flying against a whirlwind." Replied Wrathion in the end, with an answer he saw most fit. He watched another faint smile forming on Tieria's lips; as his eyes locked themselves into hers, the dragon swore he could hear his own heartbeat echoing throughout the entire chamber.<br/>"How much do you remember?" Inquired the paladin quietly, her face softening the longer she looked at him.</p><p>"I remember us talking in Storm Peaks. I remember being chained by Xanesh and her lackeys as she forced the corruption unto me." He took a pause and reached out to grab Tieria's chin. "And I remember hearing your voice, telling me that you're here to rescue me…"<br/>Wrathion caught the eye of her face flustering at the feeling of his touch, which prompted the corner of his lips to lift up.</p><p>"Are you in pain?" Despite being relieved to see the dragon awake, the templar still had concern painted over her delicate features. Wrathion shook his head slowly, as he placed his palm on the center of his chest, where ugly bruise of corruption lingered.<br/>"Not at the moment." He replied simply.</p><p>A stillness settled in the room, while the dragon and the templar remained looking into each other's eyes. Wrathion enjoyed the presence of Tieria by his side as he sank into the silence; attempting to push away the horrific vision of the Black Empire and his corrupted self as its Emperor, which still lingered in his mind.<br/>However, the stillness suddenly broke away upon Tieria speaking, breathing words the Black Prince had not anticipated to hear:</p><p>"I am sorry for the way I behaved in Northrend." Apologized the templar melancholic. Although her speech came out of nowhere, her eyes showed that she has been giving this thought for quite a while. "I overreacted… I had no reason to expect of you to reveal such a secret to me. I acted like a-"</p><p>Tieria was unable to finish her sentence as Wrathion cupped her left cheek and pulled her to him, crashing his lips upon hers. Tieria was stunned for one brief second; but soon enough the templar reciprocated the kiss.<br/>It was swift and heated, causing both Wrathion and Tieria to lightly moan in pleasure. She tasted just as sweet and her lips were just as soft, as the dragon once theorized. For a moment the dragon simply lost himself in the joy of kissing her.</p><p>Once he pulled away, he watched the flustered paladin staring at him with her mouth slightly open. The passion of their kiss had raised a sensual blush on her cheeks, while leaving Wrathion smiling alluringly.</p><p>"Your lamenting and endless questions were giving me a headache." Commented the dragon slyly, while gazing at the speechless Tieria. "It was the only way I could silence you."<br/>Tieria's eyes remained dazed as before, but the templar released a soft chuckle at the Black Prince's remark, it prompted him to laugh as well.<br/>After a moment of recuperating herself, she finally spoke:</p><p>"Wh-what…" Tieria blinked rapidly, still puzzled by the kiss and yet, she was smiling. "What was that for?"<br/>"Must we truly behave as if there was nothing between us, dear templar?" He purred as he caressed her scarred cheek. Tieria giggled lightly at his touch, her blush intensifying at the way he addressed her.</p><p>"For a moment…" She exhaled; despite the smile remaining on her lips, she sounded somber. "I thought there wasn't."<br/>Tieria exhaled out loud, while recalling how simply a day ago - the two of them did not breathe a single word to each other.<br/>"That moment is gone..." Stated Wrathion in a whisper.</p><p>He placed his fingers underneath Tieria's chin, slowly he began to sink down into his bed again, while gently guiding Tieria to lay next to him. The paladin obediently listened; she rested on her side with her gaze locked into Wrathion's.</p><p>Once comfortable on the bed, Wrathion firmly pulled her mouth down to meet his'. The dragon dragged his hand over her waist and pulled her as closely as possible to him; her breasts were firmly pressed against his bare chest, and they did not break their kiss.<br/>Daringly his tongue entered her mouth, exploring it tenderly, slowly; burning the taste of her into his memory. Moans of pleasure were heard from Tieria, which only prompted the dragon to continue. His hand found her bare back, gently he began stroking it as he trailed his lips to her ear, causing the templar to giggle from the light sensation of tickling.</p><p>"You are pulling me into temptation." Breathed Tieria in a moan. Wrathion's hot breath formed goosebumps on her ivory skin.<br/>"Is that wrong?" Hummed the dragon in her ear. "To my knowledge, paladins do not take vows of celibacy."<br/>"We don't." Chuckled the templar, as her fingers stroked his chest. She looked at the dragon, while nibbling on her bottom lip; eventually she spoke again:</p><p>"But you have been through a horrible injury… Although you claim not to be in pain - you <em>are</em> fairly weak. I would not want to aggravate it any sort of way."<br/>"Endearing of you to worry." Scoffed Wrathion affectionately, this time looking at her as he began stroking her cheek once again. "But I assure you: you won't cause me any harm." Purred the Black Prince alluring.</p><p>Tieria remained silent; her eyes roamed his features as her cheeks once again flushed red. Despite the slight hesitation she had, Wrathion saw a spark of desire in her brown eyes.</p><p>His crimson eyes went up and down, analyzing the exposed skin of her abdomen and arms, as well as the curves of her breasts and slim waist. In an instant, the dragon found himself frowning at the unusual attire Tieria was wearing. He began examining the comically long skirt and its unusual patterns and the golden sash wrapped tightly around her.</p><p>"Those are peculiar robes..." Observed the Black Prince while reaching out to feel the soft fabric of her skirt. He tried to untangle from which culture this pattern came from. Tieria gazed down to examine the robesWrathion was so puzzled about, and then she released a small giggle.<br/>"They are not mine." Replied Tieria, to which Wrathion blinked confused; his dark brows remaining snapped together. Noticing his puzzled expression, Tieria continued:<br/>"I suppose we got carried away and I forgot to inform you that we are stranded in the middle of the Zandalar Isle."</p><p>The dragon kept his face composed despite his eyes showing slight alarm. Tieria reached out to place her hand on his chest in comfort.<br/>"We are safe." She whispered warmly in reassurance. "A druid has offered us shelter in his house. Everyone is well, and are sleeping in the room next to us."</p><p>Wrathion nodded silently, though he had some follow up questions; such as <em>how</em> exactly did they end up in the isle in the South Seas, and who was this druid who, so generously offered them safe harbor - the Black Prince had elected to leave them for the morning. Knowing that they are safe - was all he needed to know for the moment.</p><p>For now, the dragon desired nothing but to lay with the beautiful templar. A feeling and desire which lingered for quite some time, but only now has surfaced, and it burned vigorously in his soul. He wanted more than just to kiss her; he ached for her touch, roam his hands on her soft skin as they pleased, have their bare bodies flush against one another.</p><p>Once again, Wrathion leaned in to steal another kiss from Tieria. He crashed his lips against hers with all the force and rhythm, as of a tide washing over the seashore. He found himself needy running one of his hands at the back of her neck, tangling his fingers into her brown hair as he deepened the kiss, earning a soft moan from her into his mouth.<br/>His lips worked more greedily, hungrily, and his tongue intertwined with hers. Gradually, the dragon began turning his body to lift himself to stand above her, but was immediately stopped by Tieria.</p><p>"No." She said quietly as she pulled away from the kiss and rested her hand on his shoulder. He became puzzled once Tieria began pushing him down onto the bed. The moment Wrathion caught Tieria's eyes shining with desire and a bold smile curled on her lips, his confusion faded away and an alluring smile appeared.<br/>"You are still weakened. <em>I'll</em> take care of this." Whispered the templar. For the first time Wrathion has ever heard her voice so seductively, and it made his heartbeat increase.</p><p>Tieria lifted from the bed and gently rearranged herself on Wrathion's waist, although she did not weigh much, she still avoided putting her entire weight on the weakened dragon.</p><p>She proceeded to reach behind her neck and untangle the knot of her borrowed robe; in two moves, the chest piece slid itself off her torso, exposing her bare chest. Wrathion's eyes hungrily roamed her body as he continued to watch Tieria undress from the remaining apparel.<br/>First she removed the golden sash, then pulled off the ridiculously long kilt; then finally, she stripped off her silk undergarments of a soft beige color. She tossed everything on the floor, then ran her fingers through her shoulder-length hair.</p><p>Wrathion's grin grew, enticed as he looked upon the templar standing in front of him completely nude. Slowly and teasingly, his hands began exploring her body. He guided them from her thighs, exploring her unique mix of hard and smooth - to her abdomen - feeling the impossible softness of her skin while simultaneously sensing her well-used muscles underneath his palms; gradually his hands worked up to cup both of her breasts.</p><p>Albeit, one might claim that the size of her chest was modest, Wrathion found them of a perfect size and shape. They fitted wholly in his hands; he gave each of them a squeeze. He drew a soft gasp from her lips as he began rolling a soft, pink nipple beneath his rough fingers.</p><p>Tieria moaned at the dragon's touch, which caused him to groan in response. Her hips gently began moving back and forth in a rhythmic pace, teasing his hard arousal which was still concealed in his undergarments.<br/>The dragon's smirk only grew bigger as he enjoyed watching Tieria take command in providing him pleasure. She moved with certainty, as if she already knew what could drive the dragon to his edge.</p><p>She curved down, laying on his chest again as she tasted his lips once more. His deft fingers ran into Tieria's hair, brushing it to the sides as he began planting kisses on her neck, trailing down to one of her shoulders.<br/>The templar inhaled sharply once she felt his teeth biting teasingly into her skin, however she let out a giggle swiftly after.</p><p>Wrathion groaned and reached to grip tightly her waist; he relished the sweet taste of her skin beneath his tongue. He gently pursued the line of her clavicle with his lips, while slipping his hand to his waist and quickly removing his undergarments so that he laid naked before her.</p><p>"Wrathion…" She gasped, her beautiful features softening. Tieria gently touched the side of his ebon face, lifting his gaze at her to kiss him slowly; the feel of her soft lips lingered even after she had pulled away. Her brown eyes directed over this hard manhood; a blush arose on her cheeks at the sight of its size. The dragon pulled an egotistical smile upon witnessing her flustered face.</p><p>As Tieria took a pause to admire Wrathion's uncovered body; the dragon guided his hand down between her thighs, marveling at her warmth and wetness. She gasped softly as her slick flesh parted before the gentle press of his fingers. The templar knotted her fingers in the sheets while arching beneath his hand.<br/>Encouraged by her avid response, the dragon continued to tease her deliberately and applying pressure. Her entire body was quivering uncontrollably as she continued to beg for more by releasing moans of approval.</p><p>"How does it feel to have fallen into temptation, dear templar?" Purred Wrathion in a whisper, with a provocative look. Tieria opened her eyes to glance at him; her cheeks still burning in bright red. She licked her lips and unexpectedly, in a swift move, she took both of Wrathion's wrists and pinned them behind his head.</p><p>"Call me by my name." She ordered breathlessly. The Black Prince released a chuckle. A part of him wanted to remain silent, to see what the templar would do if he refused her plea; the other side of him could no longer wait the teasing; he wanted nothing else but to feel the inside of her.<br/>"<em>Tieria</em>…" Whispered Wrathion; much like her, giving in to the temptation he spoke of.</p><p>A smile appeared on her beautiful face, Tieria released him from her grip as she took his manhood in her hands. Gently she began stroking it, watching as the dragon moaned in pleasure. Her slim fingers were teasingly plucking the skin up and down. Wrathion was digging his nails into her thighs, ecstasy was burning inside his chest.</p><p>The dragon was curious enough to have experienced the coitus in the way mortal races have practiced, before the templar; but none of the strangers he has laid with, have ever made him feel the way Tieria did.<br/>She was soft and elegant with every move she made; and her every touch drove Wrathion in a state of uncontrolled delirium. The dragon assumed it was the sentimental connection he had with Tieria, that provided this great emotional and physical pleasure to him.</p><p>Tieria has elected not to stretch out the teasing for too long, soon enough, she released his manhood from the soft grasp of her hands and positioned herself right above his hard arousal. Her gaze pierced into Wrathion's crimson eyes as she began sliding into him.</p><p>She gasped when the tip of his manhood was in her, which made the dragon smile triumphantly. It was easy to take the first couple inches, but she really felt the stretch once his manhood sank into her deeper. As she pushed herself until his entire length was inside of her, Tieria inhaled sharply. Her nails dug themselves into Wrathion's chest, careful as not to press on his wound, while adjusting to the feeling of him fully seated inside of her.</p><p>Wrathion groaned satisfied, and he reached for her hips as she began to move. She felt incredibly warm and tight, the dragon felt as if he was about to be undone in the blink of an eye. Much like him, Tieria was moaning in immense satisfaction, between her gasps, she managed out fragments of his name. Gradually, the templar increased the force and speed, working up to a steady pace.</p><p>Lying on his back afforded Wrathion a superb view of Tieria's beautiful shaped body; and his ferocious gaze lingered on her while the templar closed her eyes, sinking in the pleasure she was receiving.<br/>Every inch of her was breathtakingly beautiful, from the dark brown hair rolling across her shoulders, to the soft, ivory curves of her breasts and the arc of her strong thighs.</p><p>The dragon dug his fingers into the flesh of her ample buttocks as he matched her uninterrupted rhythm, his ears bursting as he heard her lips continue to tear the sound of his name. Wrathion moaned, uncaring that he might be too noisy and get the attention from those from the next room; he felt his muscles clenching uncontrollably as she rode him harder and faster.</p><p>Tieria's voice became high-pitched as the climax was reaching the templar. Wrathion held her tightly, his hips positioning themselves upwards as he desperately sought to bury his entire length as deep within her as possible.<br/>As he became undone, the dragon sealed his scream of pleasure by reaching his hand to the back of Tieria's neck and pulling her mouth down to his for an ardent kiss.</p><p>Tieria remained on the dragon after her climax rode inside her body, gasping for air. Shortly after, in one maneuver, she slid herself off Wrathion and crashed on the bed, lying on her side as she breathed out heavily.<br/>The dragon turned his head to look at the templar, his breathing just as hasty as hers, feeling nothing but utter satisfaction. He watched Tieria was trying to recuperate her breath; her cheeks flushing red, muscles relaxed and a smile of her ample lips. The small light of the candle was accentuating her beautiful features.</p><p>Tieria reached out to his hand which rested on his stomach, resting her soft palm atop it while gently squeezing it. She sank her cheek into the pillow and with her free hand, she reached out to pull the bed cover over the both of them.</p><p>"May I ask an honest question?" Spoke Tieria softly, after finally having her breath return to a regular pace. Wrathion nodded, allowing the templar to pursue: "In order to avoid confusion, I cannot help but inquire... Was this a one time thing?"<br/>Wrathion instantly smirked, with his index finger he began trailing Tieria's jawline while slowly shaking his head.</p><p>"No, dear templar." Replied the black dragon, speaking in such a soft tone, he hardly recalled addressing <em>anyone</em> in such manner. "I find you too… <em>Peculiar</em>, to let you go."<br/>Tieria giggled at his response, remembering their conversation in which Wrathion elected the word '<em>peculiar' </em>when speaking of mortal beings he would be interested to share an amorous relationship with.<br/>She pulled her body closer to him, smiling in satisfaction as she sank in the comfortable mattress and wrapped in soft covers.</p><p>"Unless… You desire for it to be a one time thing?" Inquired the Black Prince, while continuing to contour the outline of her face with his finger, gently guiding his nail through her soft skin.<br/>"No." Said Tieria simply, with a smile. "I find you too peculiar as well."</p><hr/><p>Haliki grunted as he ruffled through the various parchments which laid on his desk. Most of these were old correspondences between him and his acquaintances back in Zuldazar, and loved letters he used to send to his beloved whenever they would be apart. She always kept his letter close to her, but now she simply allowed them to gather dust in the chamber they once shared.</p><p>As the troll examined the opened drawer, he noticed that his former beloved had left many of her possessions. It prompted him to wonder if she ever intended on coming back to collect them, or should he burn all of her belongings; just like the old love letters, which Haliki now used as kindling.</p><p>It was late night in the Zeb'ahari village; most of its denizens had retired into their homes for slumber, much like Haliki's strange guests, who slept on the floor in the main chamber and the guest chamber.<br/>Having the entire day to take care of those strangers by cooking and healing them, had tired the Zandalari druid - and yet he was unable to sleep.</p><p>Haliki wasn't certain what exactly caused his insomnia, for it could be a number of reasons: the fact that his beloved wife and life-partner, who he knew and loved for over two decades, has suddenly left only a couple of weeks ago, claiming she no longer felt loved; or the fact that he had five beings, of different races and origins, sleeping in his house, unaware of their intentions.</p><p>The druid did not have a valid reason for accepting these souls in his home and offering them food and shelter. He simply saw them, resting by the pond with broken armor and open wounds and took pity.<br/>They were a curious mix of races; and it was the first time Haliki has ever seen a night elf. Despite their broken state when he has met them, the Zandalari troll felt a radiance of power coming from each one of them, and even a greater one coming from the dark skinned half-elf, who was in need of great care.</p><p>Given their situation, Haliki has refrained from asking questions how did they arrive upon the shores of Zandalar, and what precisely brought them here. He had chosen to allow them to rest peacefully for the day; but as he was stacking all of the parchments together, Haliki was mentally preparing a list of inquiries for the unusual travelers to ask in the morning.<br/>Even someone as kind as Haliki, was wary, especially given how Azeroth has recently been through yet another war.</p><p>He rose from his desk, to lay on the large bed, sighing deeply as he realized that this bed will lack a second soul resting in it for the time being, maybe even forever. Carefully, Haliki removed his golden headband and rested it on the nightstand, then swiftly shut his eyes.<br/>Silently, he mumbled a small prayer to the Loa - it wasn't for anything specific - not for gold, nor health and power, not even to have his loved one return. He simply prayed for <em>something... Anything</em> to happen.</p><hr/><p>Wrathion woke up to the loud whistling wind and heavy raindrops slamming against the window. He blinked lazily, slowly lifting his head to look at the glass window from across the room, only to find grey clouds and powerful rain.<br/>The dragon crashed on the pillow again, his lips curled into a smile at the sight of Tieria still asleep by his side.</p><p>She softly breathed in and out with her eyes shut, as she laid on her stomach; her right cheek was gently squished by the pillow she slept on. His eyes roamed the slumbering templar; given that the sheets of the bed were covering only from below her waist his gaze lingered upon the glistening skin of her revealed back.</p><p>He reached out slowly to touch her face, brushing away the couple of hair strands which covered her dainty features, and rested them behind her ear decorated with four silver rings. Tieria remained asleep, inattentive of the dragon's touch.</p><p>As he looked at her, Wrathion thought back to what had occurred only hours ago. The rush of adrenaline made him push aside any weakness or pain he felt from his injury, so he could feel the tenderness of the templar which now slept peacefully next to him.<br/>He realized that the moment of heated lust was gone, causing the dragon to now feel powerless once again. However, this time it was much easier to tolerate it, for the Black Prince had a sudden spark of confidence bursting inside of him.</p><p>There were still a lot of questions he demanded to be answered and a lot of tasks ahead. And of course, his injury was still in the process of healing, and his crusade against the Old God remained, and yet - despite all of this - Wrathion felt serene that particular rainy morning.</p><p>Tieria moaned as she woke up, her eyes began blinking rapidly and a smile formed on her lips. She lifted her head, only to have it fall back into the pillow a second after.</p><p>"Mornin'." Muffled the templar in the pillow; her voice sounded dry as she partially still slept. "How are you feeling?"</p><p>Wrathion opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the indescribable loud sound of the thunder coming from outside, prompting both him and Tieria to gaze at the window which was on the other side of the room. Briefly, they stood in silence, watching the beach from their view being heavily rained on.</p><p>"So," Inhaled Wrathion, his eyebrows lifting in surprise for he had not seen such a storm in a long time. "This is the Zandalar Isle?"<br/>Tieria nodded, just as surprised and even slightly startled at the horrific weather; especially, given how the previous day, the sky was clear and the sun was shining strongly with an unbearable heat.<br/>The paladin turned back to Wrathion, looking at the dragon with a smile decorating her face, which the dragon fondly returned.</p><p>"If you are feeling well enough," Began Tieria, this time in a clearer speech, for she was wide awake after the loud lighting noise from the outside. "I would suggest joining the rest in the other room, to inform you what has occurred since your abduction."<br/>"I prefer for you to call it… "<em>A detour from our mission.</em>" Elaborated the Black Prince. "Addressing it as an 'abduction' makes me sound like I was a damsel in distress."<br/>"You <em>were </em>a damsel in distress." Jested Tieria in a giggle. She reached out to fondle his ebony locks as she purred: "And quite a pretty one."</p><p>Despite his amused smiling, Wrathion snatched Tieria's wrists to cease her caressing, which caused the templar's chuckle to intensify. The dragon pulled them above her head as he pushed Tieria unto her bed. The templar remained giggling, while the dragon pinned her down against his weight.</p><p>"Tread carefully, dear templar - or <em>you</em> might end up a damsel in distress." Whispered Wrathion seductively, feeling taunted in an amusing way by her teasing. Tieria's eyes flickered with intrigue at the dragon's words as she bit her lower lip.</p><p>Wrathion directed his mouth to her neck, kissing while simultaneously nibbling on her soft skin, making Tieria release a soft moan mixed with laughter. He pursued to trail up, until he reached her lips, and sealed a hungry and intense kiss. He was still unable to comprehend how soft Tieria's lips felt. She was so delicate, that the dragon felt she might crumble at any moment underneath his touch.</p><p>They had to break away their kiss abruptly upon the sound of the door being opened. Wrathion swiftly turned behind, to witness a tall troll entering inside the chamber, who the Black Prince assumed must be the owner of the house, he and his companions sheltered in.<br/>He carried a bowl in one of his hands, and wore a long green kilt, and a untied robe which exposed his bare chest. The troll froze from walking upon the sight of Wrathion and Tieria '<em>embracing'</em>.</p><p>As her cheeks burned in a crisp crimson colour, Tieria released herself from Wrathion's grip, to wrap her arms around her exposed chest.</p><p>"Well… Seems ya fever be gone." Observed Haliki while glancing at Wrathion. The dragon could not help but clench his jaw at the troll's intrusion.<br/>"Haliki-" Began Tieria, in a polite and calm tone, despite her eyes showing great discomfort as she pressed her arms as tightly as possible around her breasts.<br/>"I be comin' back later." Interrupted the troll, as he immediately caught what Tieria was about to say. Swiftly he exited the room, shutting the door behind him.</p><p>Tieria pressed her lips thinly against one another the moment they were alone again; she opened arms widely, resting them on the soft mattress. Wrathion rolled back on the bed as well, letting himself sink next to Tieria.</p><p>"He's quite a… <em>Welcoming </em>host." Exhaled the dragon while running both of his hands through his curled locks.<br/>"Haliki has been incredibly generous." Acknowledged Tieria, hoping that Wrathion would not have a bad impression of the druid given the awkward first encounter he has just had with him. "He had given us shelter, clean clothes, food and took a great part in healing you."<br/>"Without asking for anything in return?" Inquired the Black Prince, one of his brows lifting up in a skeptical expression.</p><p>The dragon had a difficulty believing that one would do so much for a group of strangers without expecting any manner of payment.<br/>Tieria blinked at him and shrugged, realizing she might have behaved slightly naïve in blindly trusting Haliki. Nonetheless, the templar trusted her instincts.</p><p>"He's a druid." Stated Tieria. "His kind have always strike me as beings who don't wish harm to anyone."<br/>Wrathion's expression remained skeptical; nonetheless, he was not about to argue regarding the authenticity of the Zandalari kindness. In the end, given by Tieria's words, the troll proved to be invaluable help, which the dragon was grateful for. If there would be a price of his kindness - the Black Prince would resolve it.</p><p>The dragon glanced once again at the window, watching the rain pouring heavily and loudly from the dark grey skies unto the sands of Zandalar. Then he resumed to gaze at Tieria.<br/>The templar gave a small smile upon making eye contact with him. Wrathion's eyes roamed her body once again, as if he attempted to imprint into his memory every curve, beauty spots, and scars on her body, before gently grabbing her cheek and pulling her for a short kiss.</p><p>"Let us reunite with everyone else," Instructed Wrathion, with his hand remaining on Tieria's cheek. "And have a proper introduction with our host, while wearing at least undergarments."</p><hr/><p>Upon entering the main chamber, Wrathion was greeted by Lorga, Felassan and Caradin, sitting at the table, having breakfast which consisted of assorted meats, eggs, and some baked buns.<br/>The dragon walked inside the room, while analyzing his companions as well as his surroundings, in the meantime Tieria was closing the bedroom behind the two of them. The room was far more colder than the bedroom he slept in, causing his dark skin to form goosebumps, given that the dragon wore nothing but his breeches which he had since Storm Peaks.</p><p>As he looked over to his champions, Wrathion observed that - much like Tieria - they all wore the unusual Zandalari attires, all of them sitting unfit on their bodies.</p><p>Caradin seemed to have the unfortunate of not finding a single pair of breeches, most likely due to his short nature; hence the dwarf wore a long ebon tunic with golden threads stitched in a linear pattern around the collar; it sat loosely on his torso and ended at his knees, revealing his hairy calves and feet.</p><p>Lorga wore a robe in the same design as Tieria, it's only difference being the green material instead of red. It obviously sat much better on the orc's curves, however, the skirt was still too long for someone even of her height. The chest piece seemed too small for her, its knots were tied in a complicated manner to keep it tight.<br/>Her velvet hair was no longer arranged in any manner of braids or ponytail, it simply rested unkempt on her shoulders, and went all the way down to her hips. She was also no longer wearing the warpaint from before either.</p><p>Felassan seemed to be the only one on whom the Zandalari clothes fitted. The dark blue breeches he wore, sat nicely on his hips and covered the entirety of his legs. His sleeveless tunic, which was of an orange like color, and had a pattern of a skull embroidered in the center. It was quite short, revealing his well toned abdomen. He still kept on his dark blindfold, and his long black hair was weaved in a loose braid.</p><p>All three members looked well-rested, enjoying their meal inside the cozy chamber, safe away from the horrible storm.<br/>Upon the sight of Wrathion - Caradin immediately swallowed down the food he was chewing and addressed loudly to the dragon:</p><p>"Look who's back from the dead!" Exclaimed the dwarf. "How ye feelin', lizard?"<br/>"Quite well, until you addressed me as '<em>lizard'</em>." Replied the dragon snarky, to which Caradin chuckled lightly.</p><p>Tieria guided Wrathion to take a seat at the table, next to Felassan, while she took a seat between Wrathion and Caradin.<br/>In that very moment, one of the doors which were situated to the side of the room opened, and Haliki emerged with a tray filled with glasses and a jug of juice. He placed it in the middle of the table, then gave a grin upon seeing Wrathion and Tieria sitting with everyone else.</p><p>Before the troll could make any sort of remark about their earlier encounter, Tieria began speaking:</p><p>"Wrathion, this is Haliki." She said while gesturing at the troll. "The one who was kind enough to rescue us from the jungle of Zuldazar and offer us is home as refuge."<br/>"Loa blessed ya with a speedy recovery." Replied Haliki in a greeting. "Glad ta see ya be doin' good… Maybe even <em>too </em>good." He snickered lightly, causing Tieria's cheeks to flush in light pink.<br/>The templar subtly gazed around the table, to analyze the reaction of her companions upon the troll's commentary, but it seemed everyone was simply too concentrated on their meal to pay attention to Haliki's concealed teasing.</p><p>"I am grateful for your help, Haliki." Spoke Wrathion, despite his humble reply, he sounded egotistical as usual. Haliki waved his arms and shook his head politely.<br/>"It be nice ta hear other voices than my wife's." Laughed the troll; the answer prompted Wrathion's eyebrows to snap together in confusion, especially as he heard Lorga mumbling the words: "<em>Here we go again…" </em>to herself.</p><p>However, before Wrathion, or anyone else could say anything in return, Haliki said:<br/>"I be bring ya two plates." While pointing at Wrathion and Tieria and then he swiftly took off to the same room he came from.<br/>"Well then," Began Wrathion once Haliki was no longer present; he drew in a heavy breath, looking at his champions. "I will omit the small talk and simply ask: what has occurred since my… <em>Incident </em>at Storm Peaks?"</p><p>The Black Prince eyes briefly glanced at Tieria, who pressed her lips to seal away her smile as she thought of the '<em>damsel in distress</em>' conversation, then the dragon looked over at Lorga, who stood across him.<br/>The shaman had just finished her meal at that very moment, and took her time into chewing the last pieces of her breakfast, as she placed the cutlery on the plate and pushed it lightly aside.<br/>She crossed her arms and sank relaxed in the chair, before she began to speak:</p><p>"Your agents theorized you might have been taken to Blackrock Mountain, given your concern for Neltharion's experiments." Explained the Farseer, in the collected manner she often spoke. "We rushed to your rescue by having the mage take us to Redridge Mountains; then with the help of an acquaintance of these two." She motioned her head to Caradin and Tieria. "We flew to the Burning Steppes."</p><p>Wrathion nodded as he began stroking his goatee, attentively listening as Lorga pursued with her report. In that time, Haliki has returned with the promised plates and cutlery, which he placed before Wrathion and Tieria.<br/>Once again, the troll left back to the kitchen; while the dragon and the templar began taking some of the food which laid on the table and arranging it on their plates.</p><p>Wrathion found himself taking only one sausage, it seemed the weakness he still felt from the corruption had made him absent of an appetite, and the rush of adrenaline he had during the night with Tieria had completely ceased.</p><p>"We intended to take you back to the Ebon Rest - it did not succeed because the cultists have managed to break the dwarf's translocator;" Pursued Lorga, with a blank expression. "it took us to a random location - which is the Zandalar Isle."<br/>"And what of Calthaire and the others?" Queried the Black Prince in a perturbed tone; he wondered if his Blacktalon agents have suffered at the hand of N'Zoth's cultists, given how only his champions were present with him.</p><p>"They remained in Storm Peaks to pursue the original mission; the Frostborne were keen to aid them." Replied the shaman, then she ran her fingers through her hair as she released a heavy sigh. "<em>Now</em> I'm realizing that we have failed to set a way to communicate with them."<br/>"Calthaire will return with everyone to Ebon Rest once they succeed. I am confident of that." Declared Wrathion, his eyes were focused on the table as he delved into his thoughts on how to pursue his plan.</p><p>"What makes you think they will succeed?" Inquired Felassan. The Black Prince pressed his lips thinly before replying.<br/>"Nothing. I simply have faith in my agents." He recited; then the dragon continued to speak in a brighter tone: "Either way, we need to return to the Ebon Rest, and regroup with everyone before taking another step in our plan."</p><p>"We need our armor repaired and our weapons sharpened." Said Lorga firmly. "Whatever way we journey - there are chances we will run into the enemy again; hence, we need to be prepared."<br/>"And we have no idea how ta' get back ta' Kalimdor." Stated Caradin grumpily while stroking his beard.<br/>"Zuldazar." Haliki's voice came from behind. Everyone watched the Zandalari troll approaching them at the table. "The City of Gold."</p><p>The entire group focused their attention on their host, who continued to speak of the most ancient city in Azeroth, and the seat of the Zandalari Empire:<br/>"Within the urban region of the mighty city, lies Dazar'alor; there be the Grand Bazaar, as well as the Port of Zandalar." He said while taking a seat next to Lorga. "Dey be the best ships on Azeroth - and will take you anywhere."<br/>"You said your kind are not adjusted to strangers." Pointed out Felassan, who has also finished his meal. And relaxed in his seat while resting his head on his knuckle.</p><p>"We be not adjusted." Agreed Haliki as he repeated the demon hunter's words. "But we be bring ya no harm!"<br/>"The Horde might." Intervened Lorga grimly. "There's a Horde embassy in that city; and we're about to enter in it with a human, a dwarf, and a night elf."<br/>"But the war is over." Complained Tieria, her left cheek full with the slice of egg she was eating. The orc simply shook her head at the templar.<br/>"The war has not been over for that long." Countered the shaman.</p><p>"You are a prestige member among your people, Farseer." Addressed Wrathion, already finished with his meal. "I am certain you can convince your Horde associates to overlook us, in case we run into them."<br/>"I can." Confirmed Lorga, although her eyes still shone in concern. "That does not mean they will listen."<br/>"It is not like we have other options." Digressed Felassan. "We have to reach the port."<br/>"And if the Horde or even Zandalar got a problem with us -" Began Caradin, he turned his head to motion to Tieria. "Tia and I got our Argent Crusade badges, provin' we're of a neutral order."</p><p>The dwarf reached out to a metal insignia attached to his belt. Tieria in-between chewing, pointed to Felassan to retrieve her longsword which rested by the window, where the demon hunter stood nearby. Once he handed her the sword, Tieria pulled it on her lap and began untying the thin rope which was wrapped around its hilt.</p><p>Both the dwarf and the templar extended their heavy insignias to Farseer Lorga; the shaman took her time in examining the items.</p><p>They were made out of a well polished metal, which the orc theorized might be iron; it was shaped to resemble a sharp sun, which was the known symbol of the Argent Dawn and then the renamed order of the Argent Crusade. The center was made out of shining gold, it was so well refined that Lorga could see her own reflection in it.<br/>Given the sharp iron edges, the Farseer thought how easily one could kill someone by simply throwing this insignia into their head.</p><p>As she continued to examine it, Lorga turned the insignia Caradin had given her. Words were carved in the iron back of the insignia; and she has elected to read them out-loud:</p><p>"Caradin Fariden." Read Lorga. "In servitude of the Argent order since year 22." Then she reached out to the other insignia to read it out as well: "Tieria Iselle Adriel;" She twitched lightly, wondering the correct pronunciation of the names. "In servitude since year 22."<br/>Her velvet brows snapped together and she lifted her gaze at the two Argent Crusade members.<br/>"You both joined the Argent Crusade in the same year." She redirected her gaze at Caradin. "How is it that you already hold the sergeant position?"</p><p>"Me title initially was temporary." Began the dwarf to explain, while pouring himself a glass of juice which was of a rich orange color. "We lost our sergeant. I believe it was back in Zul'drak?" He turned over to Tieria for confirmation, which he received by a nod from the templar. "By bein' the oldest in the squad, I took over. We succeeded in taking down a large Scourge encampment which lingered there together with their leader who was a Lich. Given how well I, as well as our comrades, performed, I was promoted - and the title of sergeant became official." Lorga simply nodded at his response as she returned the insignias to Tieria and Caradin.</p><p>"So, it is settled:" Concluded Wrathion as he stretched his back, feeling his muscles marginally tensing at the sudden move. "We will journey to Zuldazar."<br/>"How is your wellbeing?" Queried Lorga; the tone in her voice indicated that the orc was more concerned of Wrathion's state of traveling and whenever he could pick up the pace with the group, rather than showing interest in his <em>actual</em> wellbeing. "You have been tortured by the Corruptor's minions; I can only assume that cannot be easily shrugged off."</p><p>"You underestimate me, Farseer." Replied Wrathion smugly. "I did not allow those cultists to break me so easily." He took a pause, inhaling deeply, which brought a sharp pain in his chest; nonetheless, he has elected to ignore it. "I may not be at my fullest - but I am far better than before - and I do not intend on stopping simply because Xanesh bruised my chest."<br/>Lorga chuckled lightly at the dragon's confidence and nodded along.</p><p>"De Corruptor…" Intervened Haliki, at first his eyes searched his hands which rested on the table, soaking everything he had heard from these strangers from the previous day until now. "Ya be speakin' of dark history." The troll looked at everyone present on the circular table. "De Prisoners of the Titans."<br/>"How much do you know of the Old Gods, Haliki?" Asked Wrathion, curious to see what kind of knowledge such a prestigious race like Zandalari had.</p><p>"I not be knowin' much." Confessed the troll. "What I do know is that those imbeciles blood trolls worshipped one of dem as deir, Loa and got 'im out of his prison from Nazmir."<br/>Wrathion frowned, Haliki's explanation prompted the dragon to ask:<br/>"Which Old God?"<br/>"G'huun." Replied Haliki simply, nearly spitting his name. "De Blood God. Fortunately, it got killed - but its rot, pestilence and decay of a corruption has caused great damage to de Zandalari."</p><p>"Well unfortunately, there's another Old God intending on spreading His corruption." Stated the Black Prince grimly, while imprinting the name G'huun into his memory, planning on doing research on the Blood God when time allowed him. He has heard of the name before, but sadly failed to recognize where and what its origins.</p><p>"No." Shook Haliki in disbelief, as if the druid did not want to accept the reality of another Old God lingering in this world. "Dey be corrupting the Loa, dey bring decay ta life… dey must be stopped."<br/>"Well, if ye haven't figured out by now," Said Caradin in a light, sarcastic tone. "That's what we're tryin' ta do."<br/>"I be takin' ya ta' Zuldazar." Concluded Haliki, determination shone in his blue eyes. "We be goin' to Kalimdor."</p><p>Wrathion's lips curled into a smile, he briefly glanced at Tieria and then back at Haliki as he said:<br/>"<em>We</em>?"<br/>"I be haruspex of Pa'ku, Loa of the Winds!" Chanted Haliki proudly, slamming his fist on the table, causing all the plates and glasses to shake. "I be skilled in healin' and fightin' - and I do not wanna see another bloody corruption in my jungle!"</p><hr/><p>Over the entirety of breakfast and even slightly after, the group told Haliki everything he had to know if he desired to join their crusade against the Old God. They spoke of Silithus, and how fragile Azeroth was at this moment, of their task to activate the Twin Forges in order to craft a weapon which they would redirect into N'Zoth. They also talked of their elite task of crossing the veil, and charging into Ny'alotha itself - which Haliki insisted on joining as well.</p><p>In return, the druid has told more of himself - a haruspex was the Zandalar term for druids; the one most in tune with nature. Haliki has told them that he was an orphan since his first memories, and has shown great skill in communicating with animal spirits from a young age; he bonded well with the dinosaurs from these lands, hence, he was able to shape in various form of these creatures - much like a night elf can take the shape of a bear or saber from their own forests.<br/>After he reached to a prestige title of haruspex, Haliki has spent a big part of his adulthood in Zuldazar, teaching the children the way of haruspex.</p><p>The troll had also mentioned that he took part briefly into pushing back the blood trolls which were crossing the border of Zuldazar, where he had the opportunity to witness the strength and horror an Old God could bestow.<br/>Afterwards, he met and married his <em>(now ex)</em> wife, settling in the village named Zeb'ahari. He has lived for many years here, serving as the villager healer and ensuring the wildlife in this area was safe.<br/>Even after his wife left him not so long ago - Haliki had no intention of leaving this village - until now.</p><p>Wrathion made no hesitation in accepting Haliki to join as his champion; after being abducted so easily by Xanesh and her lackeys, the Black Prince thought he might need a bigger number of allies than he anticipated, if he desired to push a successful assault into Ny'alotha. The rest of his champions have also agreed in accepting Haliki, given that the druid has proven to be a resourceful and kind companion.</p><p>The only remark, which was made by Farseer Lorga, is that Haliki should stop talking so often about his '<em>bitch wife</em>', to which the troll laughed off and agreed.</p><p>In conclusion - the group was set to travel to Zuldazar, to gain access to a ship and return to Kalimdor and respectively - to their base, the Ebon Rest.<br/>Given the horrible storm, which showed no signs of stopping soon - Haliki declared that they will leave as soon as the weather improves. Zuldazar was a day and a half ride away, <em>on a good day</em>; hence, the troll did not want to risk scaring his riding brutosaur in this foul storm and increase the traveling time.</p><p>Everyone hoped that they would journey the next day.</p><p>After their meeting concluded, the group scattered around Haliki's house to spend the rest of their day as they saw fit, while sheltering away from the heavy storm.<br/>Wrathion immediately went to take a bath; despite the fact that both Tieria and Haliki attempted to keep his sweat away during his feverish slumber, the dragon felt as if the dirt from Shadowflame Vault he was tortured in, still lingered on his ebony skin. He took his time, relaxing in the steamy water until it became cold.</p><p>Tieria assisted Haliki in cleaning the dishes and bringing the kitchen in order after he cooked a meal for six people; in the meantime, the troll has described the templar more of the prelate order, and how the Zandalari worship the Light through their Loa - Rezan.</p><p>Caradin and Felassan found themselves distracted by a peculiar Zandalari card game, which Haliki told them the previous night; it required its players to be sharp and alter, and an immense amount of luck was vital. Ordinarily, this game was played on coin, and the winner would take everyone's possessions; but given that both Caradin and Felassan were penniless, they improvised by using fruits as their gambling prize.</p><p>Lorga, who was still recovering from her leg injury, spent her time by lying on the bundles of comfortable pillows, surrounded by tomes and books Haliki possessed in his house. She took the leisure in learning more of the Zandalari history and paid little attention to her companions.</p><hr/><p>The day went by surprising swift given everyone's occupation.</p><p>After his bath, Wrathion took an unexpected slumber, then until supper he proceeded to read the literature Haliki owned, just like Lorga, while occasionally exchanging glances with Tieria, who was sitting at the table, playing the card game with Felassan and Caradin <em>(and in every round or so, with Haliki as well)</em>.</p><p>Whenever their eyes would meet, there was a clear spark between them. Both the templar and the dragon were eager for night to crawl in, so they could once again be alone and undisturbed to drink in each other's company.</p><p>That alone time came to be after supper, once everyone was preparing for their sleep. Rain continued to pour outside, but at least they have not heard a thunder in a couple of hours, which gave everyone little hope that tomorrow might be a clear day.</p><p>Wrathion returned to the guest chamber he slept in the previous night, while Lorga, Caradin and Felassan remained in the main chamber, making their own beds by assembling bundles of furs, sheets and pillows on the floor.<br/>Tieria,<em> (who as far as the group was aware, slept curled up in a chair in the guest chamber)</em> commented that she would join the rest, after she would once again attempt to heal Wrathion's injury.</p><p>It was a lie she had elected to tell since the templar did not desire for the group to know of the amorous exchange between her and Wrathion. It was not that Tieria was ashamed or uncomfortable by the truth; it was mainly because she wanted to avoid having gossips among her allies and disapproving glare from Caradin, who would most likely not accept the idea of Tieria laying with a '<em>lizard'</em>.<br/>The Black Prince was undisturbed by Tieria's reserve to tell their group. Much like the paladin, he did not desire to have his comrades know of his private affairs, which he thought was none of their business anyway.</p><p>"Tieria Iselle Adriel." Repeated Wrathion, finding himself intrigued by hearing the paladin's full name which he had heard earlier in the day. He was already laying on the bed, and had made himself comfortable, while Tieria was sitting on the chair by the modest desk, trying to untangle her hair with her fingers.<br/>"What about it?" Inquired Tieria, disoriented by the dragon's curious gaze.</p><p>"That's a peculiar name." Observed Wrathion alluringly. Tieria let out a small chuckle, as she carefully ran her fingers through her knotted locks.<br/>"It's just a name." She said unimpressed while giving a light shrug.</p><p>"I would beg to differ." Debated the black dragon. "<em>Iselle</em> doesn't particularly strike me as a Lordaeron name."<br/>Tieria lifted her eyes and blinked at Wrathion as she soaked in his words.</p><p>"What does it sound like?" She asked; Wrathion's lips curled into a sly smile as he said:<br/><em>"Quel'dorei."</em></p><p>The templar found herself rolling her eyes; she found Wrathion suspicion of her having elven blood, a quite foolish notion, but it seemed the dragon was not ready to abandon that theory just yet.</p><p>"Is there a reason for your middle name?" Pursued the Black Prince with questions. Tieria bit her lower lip while thinking for an answer. Shyly she shook her head.<br/>"I don't know." She responded simply. "I've never inquired my father about such things - I don't know why he named me Tieria's name either."<br/>"What was your mother's name?" Asked the dragon, speculating that her second name might be to honor her deceased mother.<br/>"Lanaya."<br/>"Curious." Breathed Wrathion while clicking his tongue. "I doubt parents give a middle name to their child on a whim. There must be a reason for it."</p><p>Tieria gave out another empty chuckle, while waving her arms in the air, giving up on the task of combing her hair with her fingers. At that moment, the templar desired nothing more but a hairbrush in her hand.</p><p>"Anyone who might know of the reason passed away." Stated Tieria, there was neither sadness nor joy in her voice as she spoke of her past.<br/>"There are many of Lordaeron survivors who are currently within the Forsaken." Pointed out the Black Prince. "For all you know, an acquaintance of yours might still live in an undead form."<br/>"Both you and Caradin seem keen in having me journey to Lordaeron." Stated Tieria, recalling the dwarf mentioning that she can return to the old village she grew up in, if she ever desired to salvage any of her old possessions.</p><p>She rose from the chair to take a seat at the edge of the bed; she glanced at Wrathion while taking in a heavy breath, and then she declared:<br/>"It's in the past."<br/>"The past beats inside us like a second heart." Articulated the Black Prince, his crimson eyes yet again, roaming the features on her face. "It is who we are now. One cannot simply erase it… As much as they would desire to." He ended his sentence on a grim note, briefly thinking of <em>his </em>past, as well as his mistakes.</p><p>Tieria stood silent, ruminating over his words.</p><p>Odd, how before meeting the black dragon, she has never thought of the chance that she might have quel'dorei heritage. It was Wrathion's attentive observations which made the templar to ponder about the idea that there might be some family of hers alive in this world.<br/>She never admitted, she had a gap in her heart since her father's passing. That man was her friend, companion, even partner-in-crime; albeit he died peacefully, which allowed Tieria to have a heartwarming farewell, it still left her hollow and alone.</p><p>The more she thought of it, the more she was warming up to the concept of exploring her past, learning of the legacy behind her name, perhaps even attempting to find if anyone of her blood still walked on Azeroth; perhaps an uncle, who knew her father and loved him as dearly as she did.</p><p>Noticing her fading away in a daydream, Wrathion took a seat next to her, removing himself from the comfortable position he laid on the bed. He gently cupped her chin to direct her gaze on him, drowning in her shining brown eyes. Tieria snapped into reality and gave him timid a smile.</p><p>"Perhaps…" She began shyly. "If we pull this through and defeat the Old God, I <em>might</em> begin a search of my past."<br/>"We will, dear templar." Said Wrathion softly, his soul burning with confidence that he <em>will </em>free Azeroth of the N'Zoth.</p><p>The Black Prince reached out to the nightstand, to extinguish the lit candle with two of his fingers.<br/>Once darkness descended into the chamber, while the rain continued to pour loudly against the glass; Wrathion slipped his hands into Tieria's dark hair and pulled her into his embrace, a desire of lust was rushing through him once more. Before sealing his lips onto hers, the dragon whispered again:</p><p>"<em>We will…</em>"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Covenant</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"<em>The hour is close at hand…"</em></p><p>"A-are you sure this thing is safe?" Caradin's question cause Tieria turned to look at him as he implored the question with a slight tremble in his voice. She gazed at how the dwarf tightly gripped the edges of the saddle, which was attached to a large and long brutosaur they rode. Caradin continued to look down, watching the earth mildly trembling with each step the beast took; gulping anxiously how high in the air they were.</p><p>"Not ta worry!" Reassured Haliki, who held the reins to the brutosaur. He turned his head back to glance at his traveling companions, as they were seated in the saddle on the back of the beast, whereas Haliki himself was positioned slightly further, closer to its neck. "He be a gentle creature, and the saddle be sturdy!"</p><p>Caradin's blue eyes remained disturbed as he stood in silence. Tieria smiled in empathy, her heart beating in compassion at seeing her friend still so frightened of heights after his horrible incident during the Legion's assault. It has been over an year since the demonic army has been pushed away from the Azeroth, and since then - Caradin has healed very well, but sadly, the fear remained.</p><p>It was early morning on the Isle of Zandalar; the sun was barely cracking its light in the sky. The horrible and terrifying storm which haunted the jungle has finally ceased. Scent of wet, fresh vegetation was shrouding the air, which brought a feeling of tranquility to the travelers who were journeying to the City of Gold; albeit the brutosaur that carried them, was hardly thrilled to walk on the stoned path filled with puddles.</p><p>As per Haliki's promise - the Zandalari druid was taking the Black Prince and his champions to Zuldazar, to acquire a ship and return home to Kalimdor; to their sanctuary located in Dustwallow Marsh.<br/>The troll did not ask for anything in return, aside from them accepting him in their crusade against the Old God N'Zoth, who intended on bringing back the Black Empire.</p><p>Evidently, Wrathion as well as his comrades, have agreed to Haliki's demand. Ever since the dragon has witnessed the Black Empire in its prime, during the visions of torture Xanesh's magic bestowed upon him, the Black Prince feared that he might not have enough resources to fight the Corruptor just yet. He now was determined to boost his ranks.</p><p>The dragon had elected to refrain from divulging this information to his champions at this moment; the group had enough troubles to worry about; given the fact they were stranded in the middle of the Isle of Zandalar, and have separated from Wrathion's agents, who now had to complete the task of activating the Forge of Wills by themselves.<br/>Once they return to the Ebon Rest, safe away from Xanesh and her lackeys, Wrathion planned on revealing the horrific vision he had witnessed and rediscuss the strategy of assaulting Ny'alotha.</p><p>Tieria looked over to Wrathion, as he stood across from her in the saddle which oddly enough resembled a square basket. She found herself smiling; falling into a daydream while gazing upon the alluring black dragon.<br/>The templar had a difficult time grasping the reality of amorous relationship which just has blossomed between her and Wrathion. It happened so quick and sudden, that she partially believed it was all an illusion; a dream which hunted her hidden desires.</p><p>And if it <em>was</em> a dream - Tieria prayed she would never wake up from it.</p><p>She fell for the dragon's dapper looks, enticing voice and charming attitude, quite early since they have known each other; which prompted the relationship between the two of them to have occasional exchanges of flirtation. Nonetheless, in order to be cautious, Tieria did not dare to go beyond breathing alluring words, nor did she dare to inquiry the dragon of his intentions. She simply told herself to get a grip of her urges, knowing that the Black Prince would not be the kind to develop feelings and lay with a mortal.</p><p>And yet, as she held the unconscious Wrathion, who was suffering from injuries the Old God's servants seared in him, Tieria realized she could not pursue to lie to herself - she felt more than mere physical attraction towards him. She has come to care for the dragon a great deal, in the short period of time that they had known each other.</p><p>Fate smiled upon her, as Wrathion reciprocated her feelings; he declared it as soon as he woke up, by kissing her in a way she has not been kissed in a long time. A kiss filled with desire, passion and carving; which led to heated lovemaking, making Tieria's heart beat with haste every time she thought of it.</p><p>Evidently, there was certain wonderment mixed with concern inside the templar. She speculated how a dragon being would behave in a relationship; especially given how… <em>Unorthodox, </em>it was for them to copulate with mortals.<br/>Nonetheless, considering that their relationship was only a day old, and the task of stopping N'Zoth still stood ahead - Tieria told herself that it is too soon to concern herself and Wrathion with such details.</p><p>Her gaze lingered at the dragon, watching as the sunrays of that early morning shone upon his glistening umber skin, the soft breeze of the jungle caressed his curled dark locks, while he gently combed his goatee, with his crimson eyes gazing into the distance. Tieria felt her entire body heating up and her breath hastening by merely looking at him. He looked lost in his own thoughts; and as she continued to admire him, the smile on her lips only widened, feeling enchanted by his appearance.</p><p>"What's so funny, lass?" Queried Caradin, who was sitting next to her. His blue eyes lingered at the smile on Tieria's rose-pink lips. The templar blinked rapidly, taken by surprise by Caradin's sudden inquiry. She kept on smiling, despite the disquiet shining in her brown eyes, and shook her head.</p><p>"Nothing." She replied warmly, interrupting her gaze from the dragon to look at her dwarven friend. "Simply… Reminiscing."<br/>"About?" Intervened Felassan, who was seated between Wrathion and Caradin. Curious to hear her response, Lorga and Wrathion tore away from looking at the lush jungle, to observe the paladin.</p><p>Suddenly having everyone's attention upon her, caused Tieria's cheeks to flush pink. She desperately tried to come up with an innocent answer, while remaining to smile. She briefly looked at Wrathion again, then glanced at Felassan.</p><p>"Simpler times." Breathed the templar a vague answer. "Sitting in my chamber in Hearthglen, on a rainy day; smoking a pipe while looking out the window, with my cat by my side." Tieria blinked while daydreaming of what she had just described. Then she turned to look at the brown satchel which belonged to Caradin. "Speaking of which-" She grabbed the fabric container, pulling it close to her, and began searching inside of it.<br/>"What ye doin'?!" Exclaimed Caradin, confused as what could Tieria be searching for in his own satchel.<br/>"I put my pipe in here before our departure from Storm Peaks." Explained the templar while pushing aside the bandages, potions and various engineering supplies which were clustered inside the bag.</p><p>She exhaled in relief upon feeling the wooden pipe in her fingers, however as she pulled it out of the satchel, a gasp escaped her lips; the pipe snapped itself in half from a large cut it had on its body.</p><p>"It probably broke either durin' our fightin' with the cultists, or when we crashed on the beach." Theorized Caradin while looking at the broken pipe in Tieria's hand.<br/>Tieria released a sigh of frustration in response and tossed the damaged item back into the satchel, wiping her hands against one another to remove the tiny pieces of the pipe which lingered upon her palms.<br/>"It's probably a good thing." Added Caradin while looking at the templar. "Ye should quit it anyway."</p><p>One of Tieria's brow rose in skepticism at the dwarf's sentence, afterwards she rolled her eyes.<br/>"Don't roll yer eyes at me, lass! Ye know this is unhealthy." He scolded.<br/>"She's chasing after an Old God, while accompanying a black dragon who's being chased by <em>the same Old God</em>." Commented Farseer Lorga with a blank expression. "And you're concerned that <em>smoking </em>is affecting her health?"</p><p>A chuckle was heard coming from Felassan, as the demon hunter was amused by the orc's phrasing; even Wrathion had a small smirk on his lips.<br/>"Look, I swore to her dying father that I will take care of her." Defended Caradin while glancing at his laughing companions. "Hence, I am fulfilling my duty to 'im - by ensurin' his daughter stays healthy!"<br/>A scoff was heard coming from Tieria and Caradin turned once again to the paladin who was grinning.</p><p>"Father <em>was</em> the one who taught me how to smoke a pipe." Countered Tieria half-giggling. "Since my adolescence, he and I would always enjoy a smoke during the evenings, while gazing on the star-filled skies." She recited wistfully. "I continue to do it to honor him… Aside from also having the joy of doing it."<br/>Caradin gave out an exhausting exhale and shook his head while mumbling "<em>Do what you will."</em> under his breath.</p><p>"We can get ya a new pipe the moment we get ta Zuldazar." Began Haliki; who every now and then would turn his head to his companions, otherwise his gaze would be focused on the road ahead. "We be resupplyin' at the Bazaar. Get ya weapons polished, armor fixed, and find a ship."<br/>"Sorry ye get ta spend yer own coin ta fix our stuff." Said Caradin humbly, to which Haliki waved his hand in dismissing the dwarf's words.<br/>"Tis be fine." Replied the Zandalari druid cheerful. "Won't be needin' that much coin since I be leavin' Zandalar with ya."</p><hr/><p>The most of the trip occurred in silence. Haliki would occasionally ramble some facts regarding the history or the culture of the Zandalari and its capital, to which the group listened with interest, but would make no remark.<br/>The brutosaur walked at a steady pace, and to their luck, there were no climate issues nor any other sort of problems which would halt their journey, hence - Haliki and his companions arrived in Zuldazar by sunset.</p><p>The seat of the Zandalari Empire laid in the heart of the dense jungle, surrounded by many thunderous waterfalls. It was built atop the highest peaks of Zandalar in a series of giant ziggurats; its majestic golden pyramids towered above the jungle canopy and its indomitable navy controls the South Seas.<br/>There were more than thousands of steps throughout Zuldazar, and indescribable numbers of buildings. Rich tapestry of flora and fauna were seen blossoming from nearly every corner and climbed on every wall, enchanting the city with a scent of freshness. Tamed ravasaurs, brutosaurs, pterrordax, and direhorns were roaming the golden paved streets as well, serving as helpful allies to the Zandalari.</p><p>Up into the mountains to the west - large, ancient pyramids were seen looming in the distance. They were known as Atal'Dazar, and have served as the resting place for Zandalari kings for millennia. With each passing ruler, new rooms were constructed to house the deceased and their vast wealth.</p><p>Haliki and the rest entered in the lowest level of the southern part of the city - the expansive Port of Zandalar. It was there that the Zandalari berthed their mighty fleet, and traders from around Azeroth sold their wares and services in the place known as the Grand Bazaar.</p><p>It was a busy and loud district, making one lose his own thoughts due to the overlapping conversations and other noises.</p><p>Albeit the streets of the market were filled with Zandalari trolls displaying and selling their goods; there also were wooden stands owned by merchants of different races: such as jinyu, pandaren, trolls from other tribes and goblins.</p><p>"There is so much <em>gold</em>!" Exclaimed Tieria, awed by the massive buildings and statues covered in gold and precious gems. "When I retire, I will buy a house here." She jested; although deep down the templar <em>did </em>desire to live in a house of gold.<br/>"Welcome to the <em>City of Gold</em>!" Laughed Haliki as he pulled the reins to his brutosaur, commanding the beast to halt from walking. "Jewel of the Zandalari Empire." The troll turned to witness his companions analyzing every detail which surrounded them. Awe and admiration was readable on their expressions.</p><p>Haliki whistled and waved to his comrades to jump off the brutosaur as he proceeded to do it. Everyone followed the troll immediately, leaping off the saddle, one by one.<br/>Although he still felt weakened and the bruise on his chest still lingered, Wrathion was able to descend from the beast without issues.</p><p>"Alright!" Began Haliki while clasping his hands together, gazing at the entrance of the bazaar. "Let us get ya out of those clothes; we be findin' a blacksmith first." Lorga and Wrathion nodded at the druid's decision, alongside Felassan; while Tieria and Caradin were far too focused on examining the city to pay attention to the group's conversation.<br/>"Lead the way Haliki." Declared Wrathion as he formed a subtle smile on his lips. "We trust your guidance."</p><p>The troll clicked his tongue and tightened the grip of his staff, then he motioned the group to follow him. It seemed Tieria and Caradin continued to ignore Haliki's words, as the paladin and the dwarf remained in the same spot, watching the giant pyramid which overlooked the entire empire city. It prompted Felassan to release a loud exhale, and walk back to his two friends. He pulled them by the collar of their clothes to snap them to reality, causing them to move alongside everyone else.</p><p>The six travelers journeyed through the busy bazaar, gently pushing themselves through the crowd. In order not to lose any of his companions in the sea of people, Haliki held his staff high above his head; and poor Caradin had to take a hold of Tieria's ridiculously long skirt, as he might easily become separated from his comrades due to his height.</p><p>Given how he spent his youth in this city, Haliki was easily navigating through the crowded streets of the Grand Bazaar. He walked with certainty towards the very end of the market, until they reached a large imperial-red brick building. It had a mosaic of ravasaurs and direhorns imprinted in its walls, which of course, was made out of gold. And it had no doors, only a large, rectangular opening, through which Haliki daringly entered.</p><p>Once inside, everyone felt a wave of heat retaining them. It was clear that this unnatural hot air was caused by the large forge which burned at the end of the room.<br/>A massive, muscular dire troll was walking back and forth through the workshop, carrying pieces of metals of various shapes and sizes. He merely grunted at the presence of Haliki and the others, carrying on with his job.</p><p>At the back of the room, next to the forge, stood a female Zandalari with fiery pink hair, kept in a long braid. She wore short linen breeches and a tight tunic; she was focused on battering the hammer from her hand against the sword which laid on the anvil. The sound of metal clashing against each other echoed loudly in the blacksmith's workshop, prompting Haliki to release a very loud cough to gain her attention.</p><p>"Welcome!" Greeted the tall female as soon as she heard the druid; she tossed her hammer on the anvil and took the nearest piece of cloth to wipe away her sweaty hands. Her blue eyes shined curiously over the unusual customers, nonetheless she pulled a warm smirk on her pierced lips and looked up at Haliki: "What can I do for ya?"</p><p>The druid motioned to Felassan, and the demon hunter took a step forward to the blacksmith and tossed down the sack he carried. He proceeded to empty the sack, letting the pieces of armor fall unto the ground; the sound of metal clanging against the brick floor resounding powerfully within the armory.</p><p>The blacksmith knelt down, analyzing the various pieces of armor; she picked up Tieria's breastplate, her eyes examining the scratches and tears it had.<br/>"How quick can ya fix them?" Questioned Haliki in a polite manner. "We be a bit under time pressure."</p><p>She remained silent, pursuing to analyze each armor piece one by one. Soon enough she gave a decisive, confident nod.<br/>"I be done before the last light runs out." Stated the blacksmith assuredly and rose on her feet to face Haliki.<br/>"Good." Nodded Farseer Lorga and turned to address Wrathion: "We will find a ship in the meantime."</p><p>The dragon nodded at the shaman, then the orc continued to speak, this time addressing the entire group:<br/>"Haliki and I will search for a crew which intends on sailing to Kalimdor." Said the Farseer, eyeing everyone who attentively listened to her: "In order to avoid complications should we run into the Horde, I would suggest for you to remain here and gather supplies for our journey."</p><p>Her gaze lingered at Tieria and Caradin, knowing that the Horde might be keener in accepting a half-demon night elf like Felassan, rather than a simple human and dwarf, like Tieria and Caradin; despite the fact that they belonged in a neutral order.<br/>Seeing as nobody made any remarks, the orc continued:<br/>"We will return here as soon as we are finished analyzing the docks."</p><p>"Well put plan, Farseer." Praised Wrathion, he turned to look at the entrance, watching the sky turning crimson. "Let us not waste too much time, the sun has already begun to set." His eyes went over to Caradin, and a smile appeared on his lips upon seeing the dwarf wearing the comically long tunic and no breeches.</p><p>"Shall we search for a tailor, Sergeant?" Inquired Tthe Black Prince teasingly. Albeit the dragon still wore the pair of trousers he had since Storm Peaks; he had borrowed an ugly, oversized green tunic from Haliki, and detested to wear it. However, unlike his comrades, he had no armor pieces which could be fixed by the blacksmith.<br/>Thus, given the opportunity to resupply, Wrathion decided that he would search for an attire better suited for him. And the dragon was well aware that the dwarf needed at least a thin layer of trousers, in order to be able to wear his plate breeches adequately.</p><p>Caradin looked up at Wrathion, his blue eyes shining with enthusiasm then he looked down at his bare calves.<br/>"Tailor, leatherworker," Shrugged the dwarf. "Anyone who can sew me some bloody pants!"</p><p>Tieria released a small giggle, Caradin's appearance was amusing, but she could not help but think the dwarf must feel incredibly uncomfortable wearing only a tunic as a robe and plate boots. Seeing how everyone began assigning duties to themselves, Tieria took a step closer to the troll blacksmith and spoke to her:</p><p>"Master Blacksmith, are there any polishing stones for our weapons?"<br/>The Zandalari woman lifted her gaze away from the anvil to nod at the templar. She pointed at a large, golden crate which laid in a corner of the room. Tieria smiled and thanked the blacksmith, then she turned back to her companions:<br/>"Leave all of your weapons here, Felassan and I will sharpen them."</p><hr/><p>The group split itself rather quickly after they had planned out their strategy in Zuldazar.<br/>Before his departure with Lorga, Haliki ensured Wrathion and Caradin had enough coin to purchase whatever supplies were necessary, and Tieria and Felassan had a good amount to pay off the blacksmith once she would be finished with their armor.</p><p>As per Tieria's command, everyone left their weapons behind so she and Felassan could sharpen and polish them, after they have been severely damaged from fighting the cultists within Blackwing Descent.</p><p>While Felassan remained inside the workshop to sharpen his warglaives, while simultaneously overviewing the blacksmith's progress on their armor; Tieria took a seat outside, next to the entrance of the building, resting upon a stone bench.</p><p>She took out her longsword, resting it on her lap as she began guiding the sharpening stone through the body of the blade with the entire strength of her left arm. The familiar sound of thick stone slicing itself upon the steel sword rang in her ears, bringing her in a state of nostalgia.<br/>Back when she lived in the kingdom of Lordaeron, the sounds of sword sharpening, hammer hitting an anvil, and weapons being cooled off in water, were constantly surrounding her, for she and her father lived right above his blacksmithing workshop.</p><p>Now, as she watched the sharpening rock sliding itself upon the edge of the sword, the voice of her father echoed in her mind; she was recollecting the correct manner of sharpening a weapon - the way her father has taught her.</p><p>"Well, well, well!" Came an enthusiastic male voice. Tieria tore her gaze from her blade, upon hearing the unrecognizable voice and looked at the human who stood in front of them. She narrowed her eyes as she began analyzing his features: he was tall and tanned, with dark long hair, but not as dark as Wrathion's; a portion of it was kept in a high-bun. His bearded face had a set of trinkets: a golden septum ring in his nose, and a golden sphere pierced underneath his lower lip. As he licked his lips, a golden piercing was also visible in his tongue.</p><p>Tieria blinked rapidly, she might have not recognized this voice, but she certainly memorized his appearance. This man was the captain of a treasure hunter crew, known as Captain Hawke; whom she met when she visited Kul'tiras, alongside Therold Swiftbook, who possessed the dragon tome she intended on acquiring.</p><p>The events which occurred when she visited Tiragarde Sound were rather… <em>Complicated. </em>But they concluded with Tieria receiving a chest filled with valuable items, collected by the treasure hunters, which included the dragon tome, as well as the pristine black dragon scale which Tieria took possession of, and caused her entire life to change in a blink of an eye.</p><p>She sized up Hawke, her mouth slightly open. The templar wondered what would be the appropriate thing to say to this man.<br/>Hawke, who had a charismatic smile on his lips, crossed his arms and said in a chuckle:<br/>"What are the chances to run into you!" His brown eyes examined her up and down. "Hello, sweetheart."</p><hr/><p>"Ya companions mentioned ya be a great hero ta the Horde." Elaborated Haliki; he used his staff as a walking stick as he followed Farseer Lorga through the grounds of the docks. "What did ya do to earn it?"<br/>"I founded the Horde." Explained the Farseer dryly, her honey-colored eyes constantly gazing at the port as she desperately tried to locate a Horde ship. "Co-founded." She corrected herself. "After our loss from the Second War, my people were scattered, imprisoned and broken. Those who were free, were just as lost as those who were jailed in the human encampments."</p><p>It seemed that Haliki had forgotten the task they hoped to accomplish at the port, given that he attentively listened to what the Farseer said, his eyes constantly watching her; he distinctly no longer paid attention to his surroundings nor searching for a ship.</p><p>"I was a prisoner for a long time, but eventually I was freed by Thrall. An orc raised as a slave and a gladiator by humans, but who has later allied himself with Orgrim Doomhammer, our Warchief at that time." Continued the orc, her brows knitted together as she recalled her dreadful past.</p><p>She rarely opened to talk about herself; however, when she <em>did</em> speak of it - the shaman never held back on telling the truth. Often, the Farseer found that the historical tomes would either adulterate the history in an attempt to hide the dark past her people had.<br/>While she understood why some historians desired to paint over the atrocities and the mistakes, Lorga felt it was necessary for one to know <em>everything </em>the Horde has done - in hope that those barbarities would never be repeated.</p><p>As her eyes continued to scour the docks, Lorga continued:<br/>"Thrall was accompanied by Grommash Hellscream; a… <em>friend</em> of mine from my youth." Her face suddenly was clouded in grief. She licked her lips as she paused, inhaling deeply before resuming her tale. "Once reunited, we continued to free all of our people and we elected to sail to the land of Kalimdor to build a new life. I took part in planning many rescue assaults, since I knew how human encampments were built."</p><p>Lorga once again found herself reaching for the bone necklace which rested around her neck, touching the old and dried-up beast skull with the tip of her nails.</p><p>"We founded the city of Orgrimmar, allied ourselves with the tauren and the Darkspear trolls and rebuilt the Horde - the new Horde." The Farseer took a moment to pause again.<br/>Haliki noticed the distress on her face; the troll was wise enough to read that Lorga's expression was filled with regret. It seemed the orc was omitting some imperative details in her story, for nothing she described so far, would make one look so… <em>Broken</em>.</p><p>"Grom… Grommash died in battle, against the very demon which enslaved our people; and he freed us all from the Legion's corruption." Once again, Lorga paused. She ceased from walking, prompting Haliki to do the same. The orc blinked at the horizon, watching the sunset while inhaling deeply the breeze which began to coddle her face.</p><p>"After that I decided to explore Azeroth by myself, to bond with the elements of this new world which became my home." She began speaking in a softer tone. Her eyes still refusing to look at Haliki. "I remained an advisor for Thrall, albeit I rarely visited Orgrimmar. During my journey I met my lifemate, and soon enough I became a mother. But I <em>always</em> answered the call to arms: The Third War, The Battle for Mount Hyjal, The Ahn'Qiraj war, The Northrend Campaign against the Lich King… I was present at them <em>all</em>, and I <em>always</em> emerged victorious alongside the Horde."</p><p>Haliki blinked silently after Lorga concluded her story; he felt power radiating from this orc from the moment he had met her, and now he knew why. For one to go through so many battles - and always emerge alive and victorious - took indeed a great amount of power.</p><p>Soon enough a silence erupted between the shaman and a druid, but only for a short moment, as Lorga once again began to speak:</p><p>"Officially…" She began, this time the tone in her voice distinctly indicating that she was forming a conclusion. "I left the Horde, after Garrosh Hellscream, Grom's boy, was removed from the seat of the Warchief. But I can never abandon it. My heart will <em>always </em>belong to the Horde, even though I no longer serve it."<br/>"Our roots be important in makin' us who we are, aren't they?" Recited Haliki poetically, to which Lorga nodded.<br/>"<em>Very</em> important." She breathed.</p><p>Haliki took a moment to soak in everything he had just heard. He realized he was about to make a great change in his life by leaving with these strangers to Kalimdor, to fight an <em>Old God</em>. In his entire life, the druid was safe within the walls of the Zandalari Empire; although he had been through war and battle, it was always against an enemy he knew of. Not demonic armies or ancient entities, like the foes Lorga has fought against.</p><p>A panic gripped his heart. He knew the loa guided these champions to him; the Wild Gods were signaling the Zandalari troll to take charge in defending not only the homeland he loved so dearly, but also the <em>entire world</em>. But Haliki could not help but feel frightened at what would be the outcome of this.<br/>Would he emerge victorious, and become a well-known, unbreakable hero like Farseer Lorga? Or would he become a servant of darkness, succumbing to the corrupted power, and bring destruction to Azeroth much like the blood trolls do?</p><p>"We've wasted enough time." Spat Lorga, breaking Haliki's meditation. The troll blinked rapidly, waking up to reality. He watched as the Farseer once again began moving, and had little choice but to follow her.</p><hr/><p>"Hawke, was it?" Began Tieria in a hesitant voice. She faked a smile while looking at the lone captain, wondering where the rest of his crew was. As the treasure hunter gave her a nod, Tieria put away the sword, letting it rest on the bench and rose on her feet to be on the same eye level as him. "What brings you to Zuldazar?"</p><p>"Isn't it obvious?" Chuckled the man, to which Tieria also chuckled and nodded. It <em>was </em>obvious treasure hunters would scour one of the most ancient places on Azeroth, in hope to get a hold of some ancient artifacts or forgotten treasure. "The question is why are <em>you </em>here? In search for another tome?"<br/>"Not quite…" Replied Tieria, uncertain how much information should she divulge to this odd 'acquaintance' of her. " I'm afraid it is rather complicated, and too time consuming to explain."</p><p>One of Hawke's brow lifted itself in curiosity, he bit his lower lip and once again, his eyes roamed Tieria up and down.</p><p>"Well… My crew is currently searching for another destination." Began Hawke, daringly he took a step closer to Tieria. "So, I've got some free time if you desire… <em>Company</em>." He whispered while reaching out to caress her cheek. Tieria swiftly reacted - she grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand away before it could even begin to touch the skin of her face. The glare she had in her eyes made Hawke retract his hand as well as take a step back.<br/>Last time, Hawke had the nerve to offer Tieria the dragon tome in exchange for coitus; to which she naturally refused. It seemed that the human captain had not satisfied his lust, and yet again attempted to allure the templar.</p><p>"Tieria." Wrathion's voice echoed strongly. Tieria to her side to witness Wrathion and Caradin standing side by side.</p><p>The dragon was no longer wearing the green tunic from before; instead he wore a long sleeved, silk mulberry purple shirt with a deep v-neck, exposing a portion of his chest. And Caradin finally had a pair of black breeches made out of a thin fabric, and the oversized, robe-like tunic was tucked into them. The dwarf also carried a large basket in his hands, filled with various supplies.</p><p>The Black Prince began approaching Tieria in a hasting pace, while eyeing Hawke with a glare.</p><p>"Who is this… <em>Indiviudual</em>?" Whispered Wrathion in her ear, clearly displeased by how '<em>close' </em>Hawke dared to be with Tieria.<br/>"He's the captain of a crew of treasure hunters. I met him a while back in Kul'tiras" Explained the templar, speaking in a whisper as well. "I acquired the black dragon scale from him." A tiny smile appeared on Tieria's lips. "In a way, he's responsible for our first meeting."</p><p>There was a flicker in the dragon's eyes upon the mention of the scale, but it swiftly vanished. Wrathion's expression remained stone as he sized up Hawke.<br/>Feeling a strong hostility coming from Wrathion, Hawke took another step back; receiving a clear sign that he was not welcomed to remain to chat with the templar. The captain remained smiling and once again looked at Tieria as he said:</p><p>"The offer still stands." Hawke exhaled to Tieria. Before taking his leave, he winked at the templar, causing Tieria's lips to curl in discomfort.<br/>"Tia." Addressed Caradin as soon as Hawke was gone. He walked up to the templar and the dragon. "Ye okay, lass? What did the fella want with ye?"</p><p>Tieria exhaled loudly and shook her head as she began explaining:<br/>"Bloody sailors who would hump anything that moves." She spat. "As I told Wrathion - he's the one I've acquired my dragon tome from. And apparently he and his crew are here searching for another location to dig treasures. Perhaps they are either lost in Zandalar just as us, or have already emptied this land of artifacts." She looked down at Caradin, whose eyes shined in concern and gave him a smile: "I am alright, Caradin. He hasn't done anything to me."</p><p>Although she was addressing the dwarf, her eyes went over Wrathion while saying the last sentence, subtly reassuring the dragon as well.<br/>Wrathion remained frowning, his eyes were unreadable to her. Nonetheless, she gave him a smile, wishing to be alone with him to be able to taste his lips once more. Her lingering smile caused Wrathion to visibly relax, and gave her a smirk in reassurance. Much like her, the Black Prince felt the desire to be in solitude with the templar.</p><p>"Welcome back." Came Felassan's voice. The demon hunter stood by the entrance of the workshop, already dressed in her leather armor and both of his warglaives strapped on his back. It seemed that the blacksmith had finished restoring everyone's armor.<br/>"Is she done with the gear?" Asked Caradin while glancing at the demon hunter wearing his armor. Felassan gave a mute nod, and the dwarf cheered loudly: "Finally!" He sprinted inside, and Felassan, in the middle of chuckling, followed Caradin inside the workshop.</p><p>Wrathion seized this opportunity, and swiftly gripped Tieria by the back of her neck to pull her into a quick but firm kiss. Tieria released a moan in surprise, her cheeks flushing red at the force he put into the kiss. It was a hungry and almost… A p<em>ossessive </em>kiss; making Tieria's knees feel weak, wanting to yield before his sensual desires.<br/>He pulled away with a satisfying smile on his lips, watching the flustered templar attempt to compose herself. Tieria chewed on her bottom lip as she released a giggle.</p><p>While remaining bewildered, she began walking towards the entrance of the workshop; standing along with the dragon for too long would raise suspicion to her comrades with Wrathion following right behind her.</p><hr/><p>By the time Lorga and Haliki reunited with the group - everyone was once again dressed in their armor, with sharpened weapons attached to them and satchel filled with supplies. But to their great misfortune, they returned with bad news:</p><p>"There are no ships sailing to Kalimdor any time soon." Reported Lorga while strapping on her heavy shoulderpads. "Neither the Horde nor Zandalari, not even goblin mercenaries."<br/>"Our only way be hirin' a crew ourselves." Added Haliki, then he brought the flask of water he held in his hand and began drinking out of it.</p><p>Wrathion glanced at Tieria, recalling her mention of the treasure hunters crew who apparently were searching for a new destination. Although he had an unpleasant<em> (and that was putting it lightly)</em> interaction with the ship captain, given how he attempted to sway Tieria; Wrathion could not afford being choosy. Time was of the essence - they needed to reach the Ebon Rest before they would once again run into Xanesh.</p><p>"It seems the treasure hunters might be an option." Breathed Wrathion. Lorga's brows snapped together in confusion, while Tieria turned to Wrathion, surprised to hear what he had just said.<br/>"Treasure hunters?" Repeated the orc.</p><p>"Apparently, our templar here had once some business with them." Began the Black Prince. "And they are currently scouring for a new place to journey to. I believe we can strike a bargain with them to have them travel with us to Kalimdor."<br/>"They seemed like harmless folk." Added Tieria, settling in for Wrathion's suggestion to approach the treasure hunters; they <em>had </em>to return to Kalimdor, one way or another. "Only their captain tends to be too handsy."</p><p>The muscle in Wrathion's jaw twitched in discomfort upon recalling the nerve of the captain daring to approach Tieria so freely. Though he only has recently given in to his feelings for her, he has noticed he felt emotions of jealousy swirling through him whenever his agents would linger at the templarfor too long, or even when the demon hunter Felassan would receive too much attention from her.<br/>He already thought of her belonging to <em>him</em>, and did not desire for anyone to think otherwise.</p><p>After all, dragons <em>were</em> possessive beings.</p><p>"If it is indeed our only option." Began Felassan while taking a step inside the circle which the group formed. "Then I say we take it."<br/>Haliki nodded, agreeing with the demon hunter. Lorga, given her expression, seemed to be inclined with the particular plan. Caradin's eyes darted in hesitation, which Tieria took a notice of.</p><p>"It is either striking a bargain with these treasure hunters." The paladin elaborated in hope to convince her dwarven friend, while simultaneously analyzing their options once more. "Or we remain a couple of nights in Zuldazar, until there's a ship which sails to Kalimdor."<br/>"This could stretch out too long." Debated Wrathion quietly, he tugged lightly the hairs of his goatee while trying to unearth any other options.<br/>"We can try our luck with the treasure hunters." Consented Caradin. "But what sort of bargain will we strike with 'em?"</p><p>The Black Prince's lips curled into an egotistical smile; he rose from the chair he was seated upon as he said:<br/>"Leave that to me."</p><hr/><p>Night had descended in the City of Gold; the moon reflected brightly against the water, giving a magical, eerie-like, atmosphere to the docks. Even at this hour, the port was busy with sailors preparing their ships for another journey, or arriving at their destination.<br/>The treasure hunters ship was located to the near end of the port, and it was so small compared to the Zandalari ships, Lorga and Haliki failed to even spot it earlier when they were here.</p><p>They saw Hawke as soon as they approached the ship; the captain was patrolling the area, alongside a female goblin whom Tieria recognized was present with the crew back in Kul'tiras. Once he caught the sight of Tieria, Hawke stopped to watch the templar and her companions approach him.</p><p>"Ah!" Exclaimed the crew captain as soon as Tieria stood before him. "To what do I owe the pleasure, sweetheart?"<br/>"You're not talking to her." Intervened Wrathion. He took a step in front of Tieria, positioning himself between the templar and the captain. "You are talking to <em>me</em>." He said in an intimidating tone, his gaze piercing at the human captain.</p><p>Hawke released an empty chuckle and he sized up Wrathion; feeling intrigued by the exotic appearance and daring talk, the captain gave a nod, allowing the dragon to continue. Wrathion began haltingly pace around, slowly pulling himself away from his companions to talk to Hawke in private. The captain followed the dragon; Wrathion could not help but notice Hawke's hand resting upon the hilt of the sword which rested on his left hip.</p><p>"So, I hear you are a crew of treasure hunters… With no treasure." Began the Black Prince teasingly. He watched as Hawke's lips curled in a small sign of irritation but made no remark. Knowing that he has succeeded in taunting the captain, Wrathion continued: "Why don't we change that? Let us fill your pockets and chests with treasure you cannot even imagine exist in this world."</p><p>Hawke's forehead puckered, he attentively watched Wrathion, his grip only tightening around the hilt of his sword. The mocking tone Wrathion talked in, felt distasteful to the captain.<br/>"What sort of treasure?" Asked Hawke coldly; at first the Black Prince replied with a chuckle.<br/>"<em>Any</em> sort of." He purred. "Weapons, trinkets, gems, ancient tomes… <em>Anything</em> you desire - all in <em>one </em>vault."</p><p>"Sounds too good to be true." Stated the captain dryly, he was growing impatient with Wrathion's evasive conversation.<br/>"Perhaps; to a simple minded creature." Shrugged Wrathion, his smile everlasting on his lips. "But you are not so limited. You own a crew and a ship; you could do <em>more </em>than mere treasure hunting." He took a pause, and as he prepared to deliver his next words, Hawke suddenly spat hostile:<br/>"Get to your point."</p><p>"You take me to Kalimdor, fight by my side." Explained the black dragon, his smile vanished but his voice remained purring in a sensual tone. "You will become so much more than treasure hunters. You will become heroes, well-known champions whose name will forever be sang, and will be bathed in the said treasures."<br/>"You want to hire us? As mercenaries then?" Analyzed Hawke; his expression contorted, as if he was offended by the concept of acting as a mercenary.<br/>"I am indeed." Smirked Wrathion. "Take a moment to imagine it: being a champion among champions, having every soul from every corner of Azeroth know your name, <em>everyone </em>showering you with gifts, people <em>aching </em>to lay with you. And, of course… Possesing any manner of treasures, all in one vault."</p><p>Hawke began visualizing everything the Black Prince was telling him; his eyes shined brightly as he imagined being the <em>legendary </em>captain Hawke. A renowned sailor who became a hero on Azeroth, who would sleep in castles and only eat delicatessen. He would rule over the seas with a mighty ship he would purchase, and would have every woman he desired by his side. The longer he continued to imagine it - the stronger his heart would beat.</p><p>He did not realize that he truly desired those things; not until this man had just told him what he could achieve.</p><p>The captain sobered into reality, it still sounded <em>too good</em> to be true. He glared at the dragon. Somehow this man made Hawke unable to trust his own thoughts.<br/>"Am I supposed to trust you blindly?" Remarked Hawke, in yet again, a hostile growl.<br/>"Oh, I apologize; I suppose time does not allow you to put your faith in me; given the <em>many locations filled with treasure,</em> you have to travel to." Jested the dragon sarcastically. "Or perhaps… Y<em>ou can</em>; and you will be <em>handsomely </em>rewarded if you do so."</p><p>Hawke remained silent, his breath shortened as he looked into Wrathion's crimson eyes; he felt as if the Black Prince was putting a spell on him. As his mind was soaking the dragon's words, the captain tore away the eye contact to look at Tieria, who stood further than them, her attention focused on the calm sea reflecting the moonlight on its waters.</p><p>"Don't look at the paladin." Whispered Wrathion in a calm and yet commanding tone, prompting Hawke to once again lock his eyes into Wrathion's. A sly smile formed on his dark lips. "Well, Captain? Do we have our bargain?"</p><hr/><p>"Set the sails to the west!" Shouted Captain Hawke as he paced through his ship, watching his crew preparing their vessel for traveling. "We journey to Kalimdor!"</p><p>Hawke leaped on the stairs to reach the upper decks, he approached the steering wheel of the ship, gripping the wooden handles tightly in his hands. He glanced at Wrathion, wondering who was this mysterious man who promised him this vast wealth and prodigious future. Something in Hawke's mind whispered that he was no charlatan, but in fact, a being of great importance.</p><p>After sailing for years on the untamed seas of Azeroth, Hawke has learnt to trust his instincts in any sort of situation, including such an unusual one.</p><p>"Well, I'll give you this, dragon." Said Farseer Lorga; she approached Wrathion who stood by the edge of the ship, examining the horizon. "You've got a silver tongue.<strong>"<br/></strong>Wrathion chuckled proudly, he turned to face the Farseer and watched the rest of his champions approach him. Neither of them inquired how precisely did the dragon succeeded in convincing the treasure hunter captain to sail them to Kalimdor, but everyone was equally impressed and relieved that they are finally journeying to their safe garrison.</p><p>"The first room to the right at the lower deck belongs to us." Explained the Black Prince. "Ensure you are well rested, it's a long way to Kalimdor."<br/>"What do we do if the cultists attack us on water?" Inquired Felassan, his question was swiftly and simply answered by Lorga:<br/>"We kill them."<br/>"I assure you, I will not let myself be captured again." Declared Wrathion confidently as he grinned.</p><p>In the time the group were having their conversation, a loud bell rang around the ship, signaling it was sailing off into the Great Sea. Gradually they began pulling away from the Zandalari Harbor.<br/>Silently, Haliki approached the edge of the ship, watching the City of Gold shining brightly even at nighttime. Sorrowfulness crossed visibly over his face, while in his mind, he began wishing farewell to his home.</p><p>"First time leaving home?" Inquired Tieria softly as she looked at the troll. Haliki silently nodded, his gaze ever remaining on the city of Zuldazar which began fading into the distance. "It can be scary." Continued the templar. "But it's a life-changing experience… And a chance to a fresh start."<br/>"I be not regrettin' it." Confessed Haliki, finally turning his gaze to meet with Tieria's. "I thank de loa for offerin' me dis opportunity."</p><p>Tieria smiled warmly at the druid's reply; but that smile swiftly faded away as Tieria felt a wave of nausea already washing over her. The seasickness she anticipated to arrive - has finally made its appearance. Although she was excited to have finally found a way proceed with their task, she still loathed the fact that <em>a ship</em> was their only option of traveling. She dreaded that she would experience seasickness most likely until they reach Kalimdor.</p><p>"Caradin," Addressed Tieria weakly, while gripping herself against the edge of the ship.<br/>"Time ta cure yer seasickness by gettin' buzzed?" Asked the dwarf rhetorically; after so many years of knowing Tieria, the dwarf was well aware of the particular '<em>ritual</em>' the paladin commenced whenever she boarded a ship. Tieria smiled and nodded, to which Caradin responded with a loud chuckle.</p><p>"Alright! Let's find a drink around 'ere. These treasure hunters must have a bottle o' rum or somethin'." Exclaimed the dwarf; his eyes went around his companions as he proceeded to ask everyone: "You comin'?"<br/>Both Haliki and Felassan gave a nod, with only Farseer Lorga shaking her head as she declared:<br/>"No." She replied simply. "I am going to sleep."</p><p>The orc immediately left, taking the way to the lower decks, before anyone could even wish her a good night. Caradin simply shrugged, and motioned to everyone else to follow him to the door which was on the left side of their deck. Through the crack of the opened door, Caradin caught the glimpse of tables and chairs, which made the dwarf theorize that in that chamber, the treasure hunters might had their own modest tavern.</p><p>As Caradin, alongside Felassan and Haliki left, Tieria approached Wrathion.<br/>"Will you join us?" She whispered slyly to the dragon.<br/>"In a moment." He replied in an alluring smile. "I wish to discuss more with the captain, to ensure we're on their good side."<br/>Tieria simply nodded at the dragon, she swiftly and subtly blew Wrathion a kiss and proceeded to follow her companions.</p><p>Wrathion watched the templar walk away, his smile swiftly faded away as soon as she was out of his sights. Then, the black dragon began to walk on the upper deck, daringly approaching the captain's quarters where Hawke had left moments ago.<br/>With his entire strength, the Black Prince opened the massive doors and entered inside, shutting them tightly behind him.</p><p>Captain Hawke, who was sitting by the desk which was situated at the end of the room, lifted his gaze away from the maps he was analyzing, to look at the sudden intruder in his chamber. His dark brows snapped together upon the sight of the dragon.</p><p>The captain opened his mouth to speak as he turned to face the dragon, but was immediately stopped as Wrathion unsheathed his sword and plunged it into the desk with force, piercing down the map Hawke held in his hands.<br/>Wrathion fixed his crimson eyes into Hawke's, they no longer shined charmingly as before; instead, willpower and grimness filled his gaze. Before Hawke could take any other action, Wrathion spoke, in a cold and low voice:</p><p>"You will tell me where you found that black dragon scale."</p><hr/><p>Agent Cullen grunted in satisfaction upon feeling the strong liquor warming up his insides as he drank tastefully from his flask. He exhaled, letting the drink sit in and relax his muscles and mind.</p><p>Ordinarily, he was not the one to taste alcohol, aside from events such as festivals or celebrations; but given how his current duty entailed in defending an underground base which nobody from outside even knew of nor could enter - the Blacktalon agent allowed himself to relax every evening; especially since the Black Prince was not present in the sanctuary either.</p><p>The blonde human ran his fingers through his slightly curled hair, combing it back as he lazily walked in the main hallway. Given how the Blacktalon agents, who remained to defend the Ebon Rest were not allowed to leave the sanctuary, it was difficult for most of them to know what time it was, due to the lack of windows.<br/>Some of them possessed pocket watches or had other methods of tracking the time - but not Cullen. Hence, he paced through the hall, without any knowledge of time and day whatsoever; nonetheless, given how many of his comrades were already asleep, the human presumed nighttime must be crawling in the Dustwallow Marsh.</p><p>It has been days since the Black Prince has departed from the Ebon Rest with his champions and selected agents to the icy land of Northrend, to pursue with the first task of their assault against the Old God N'Zoth.<br/>The remaining agents were told to keep the hidden sanctuary in order, and by no means leave its premises, lest the desire to remain locked out; since there was only one person in the Black Prince's organization, who possessed the ability to wield the Light and open the secluded entrance - and that was the young female paladin who recently joined their Master's side. However, she too joined the black dragon on his quest to reach the Forge of Wills.</p><p>In that time, the remaining Blacktalon agents attempted their best to contribute to the mission by continuing to bring the Ebon Rest in order. They have cleaned more unoccupied rooms, fixed broken furniture and even brought order to the common bathing room with the aid of the fire and water elementals, which were left by Farseer Lorga to aid the agents.<br/>However, soon enough, the members of the Blacktalon began loosening up; and spent most of their days coming up with various challenges and games, enjoying the newly-fixed hot baths, and even getting to know each other to a more personal level.</p><p>At first, Cullen was ecstatic to have some leisure time, for he had forgotten the last time he could sit by the hearth with a pretty lass on his lap and a good drink in his hand. Nonetheless, the agent found himself aching for some combat action or exploration after a few days.</p><p>As he wandered the hall, he asked himself when would his master return.</p><p>His inquiry with himself was interrupted by the sound of stones dragging themselves against each other. Cullen blinked and walked towards the end of the long chamber upon realizing that the sound came from the stairs which led up to the entrance of the sanctuary. He stopped not too far from the first step, lifting his head to gaze at the ceiling as he was expecting to witness some movement coming down the stairs.<br/>Impatiently and eagerly he waited as loud steps began echoing in the hall, coming down the round stairwell. The clinging sound of metal interacting with stone continued to resound.<br/>Cullen chuckled modestly to himself, amused by the fact that as soon as he thought of his master - the Black Prince returned to the Ebon Rest.</p><p>However, his smirk vanished and his brown eyes widened when the figure who was walking down the stairs revealed not to be his master, and it was neither his champions nor his fellow agents. Before Cullen stood a tall, muscular human male; his skin was tan and he had crisp red hair trimmed shortly and a thick mustache over his chapped lips. He wore a black eye-patch over his right eye and wore heavy plate armor, in the colors of black and white and a massive, golden longsword was attached to his back.</p><p>Cullen took a step back in confusion, he heard more footsteps coming down the stairs; he comforted himself by thinking that his master must be coming down at any moment, and that this stranger was a new member of their organization.</p><p>Four other figures came after the tall human, and <em>neither </em>of them were the Black Prince. The man was accompanied by a male and female human, a female blood elf, and a male draenei. Each of them wore plate armor of design and material of their choice, and had different kinds of weapons; however they all wore the identical tabard, which consisted of a light blue color and a silver hand in a shape of a fist imprinted in the center of it.<br/>Cullen did not recognize any of the souls who stood before him, however, he knew who they were.</p><p>
  <em>The Knights of the Silver Hand.</em>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Unveil</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wrathion lit the oil lamp from next to him as quiet as possible, careful as to not awake the sleeping templar next to him. He did not particularly need light in the room, he had no book to read or journal to write in, but the dragon found himself wishing for it, alternatively to laying down in utter darkness.</p><p>As soon as the faint fire began materializing itself within the glass body of the lamp, Wrathion laid into the bed once again, running his fingers through his curly locks. He inhaled sharply, unnumbered thoughts running through his mind as he stared at the hollow ceiling.</p><p>It was late in the night; Captain Hawke and his crew, alongside the newly joined traveling companions, had crossed the South Seas and were only a couple of hours away from reaching Kalimdor. The journey, which was drawing on its sixth day, was reasonably smooth so far. The skies were clear, the water was calm, the winds were in the sails favor and the crew and the captain were in good spirits.</p><p>And yet, Wrathion wasn't.</p><p>On the first night that he and his champions boarded Hawke's ship, Wrathion interrogated the treasure hunter captain of the origin of the black dragon scale the human had acquired, prior it landing in Tieria's hands. And he was greeted with an utterly unsatisfying answer: the treasure hunters plainly stumbled upon it, lying stranded inside a cave on an insignificant island in the north.<br/><br/>The Black Prince has hoped that there was more to the story; perhaps the treasure hunters have unintentionally located an abandoned dragon nest, or by any chance, they have encountered any type of dragons soaring the skies of that particular island; but Hawke could not comment on any speculations Wrathion had given him. At that moment, Wrathion that realized Hawke was merely a lucky buffoon who indeed just stumbled upon the black dragon scale.<br/><br/>The treasure hunter captain was but a simple man, who cared for nothing but riches, women, and fame. He probably could not even tell the difference between a gryphon and a hippogryph; so how could he be able to interpret that his crew might have discovered a dragon nest?<br/>During the entire time of their discussion, Hawke even failed to fathom <em>why</em> possessing a black dragon scale was such an important discovery; apparently - he had no idea black dragons were extinct to begin with.</p><p>This recent revelation has left Wrathion bitter for the next few days; any hope he had about unearthing information regarding the mysterious Dragon Isle - vanished.<br/><br/>With N'Zoth shattering from his prison, the black dragon was compelled to delay his search for a way to restore his kin; albeit he still had some of his Blacktalon agents scout the northern seas, west of Quel'thalas, where the Dragon Isle was rumored to be - every report from his scouts arrived with negative news. And the Black Prince could not simply abandon his current quest in defeating the Old God to search for this unknown dragon realm.<br/><br/>The mystery behind the black dragon scale and the Dragon Isle, as well the upcoming assault upon Ny'alotha, kept Wrathion awake every night. During the day, he succeeded in displaying a false smile, deceiving his champions, including Tieria, that everything is operating smoothly, and that he is confidently preparing for their battle against the Corruptor.<br/>But in solitude, Wrathion would continually remember the might of the Black Empire in the illusion Xanesh trapped him in and the price Azeroth would pay if his crusade against Ny'alotha would fail. <br/><br/>Although Ny'alotha, the Sleeping City was but a mere vision - waiting to be made real on Azeroth - it was the alternate existence inhabited by N'Zoth and the rest of his kin. The other Old Gods might have been killed long ago; however, no historian knew what happens to a deceased of Old God; for they were no ordinary creatures, whose souls transcend into the Shadowlands after their deaths. <br/><br/>The Black Prince feared that the essence of the other Old Gods might still linger in the Sleeping City, and they might aid their brother N'Zoth in the upcoming battle. Fighting <em>one</em> eldritch horror was challenging enough, but battling one with the essence of the other <em>three </em>empowering him? 'Arduous' would be a minimal way to describe it.</p><p>Wrathion inhaled sharply, all of those thoughts lingering in his mind brought once again an insomnia. He lifted his torso, putting up the pillow against the wall of the bed so he could rest against it. The dragon turned to his right, glancing at Tieria who was tightly asleep, untroubled by the sudden light he lit in the chamber. Softly she breathed in and out; the color of her skin was slightly drained away from its natural colour, she was paler due to her seasickness. However, it was fortunate enough that she was still able to get a good sleep every night.<br/><br/>The room Hawke has provided to Wrathion and his companions with had six beds, granting each of the group members to rest comfortably in their own bunk.<br/>However, with his persuasive words and mannerism, the dragon had succeeded to sway the captain to grant him private quarters, which included a larger bed. It allowed Tieria to sneak away from the group during the night, to lay with the Black Prince.<br/><br/>Each nightfall they drank in each other's company; letting themselves to be taken by lust and passion. Albeit the templar was behaving much more passive due to her seasickness, it did not stop them from their heated intimacy.<br/>As a matter of fact, after a steamy and satisfying intercourse, Tieria would fall fast asleep, which made it easier for her to combat away her nausea. It also brought a satisfactory feeling to Wrathion to witness his beautiful paladin crumb away so easily after their lovemaking.<br/><br/>His intimacy with Tieria was the only subject which would relieve the dragon from his tension and allowed him to forget about the twisted reality, even for a brief moment. In that time he only focused on the delicate templar; listening to her melodic voice and feeling her soft touch, whilst still unable to comprehend how one simple human like Tieria could make a dragon like him to feel such comfort and elation whenever he was around her.</p><p>"Wrathion…" Tieria's voice was heard faintly. She turned to look at the dragon, despite her eyes remaining closed. It seemed either his continual sighing of frustration, or the light of the oil lamp broke the templar away from her sleep. She grunted lightly as she lifted her torso to be on the same eye-level as Wrathion.<br/>"Bad dream?" Surmised the dragon before she could pose any questions of his insomnia. Tieria moaned and released a loud yawn, clutching the coarse linen blanket close to her chest to cover herself as much as possible from the cold sea air.<br/><br/>"I never dream." Said the templar simply in between her yawning. She combed away the hair strands which laid disheveled across her sleepy and pale face. Then she slid closer to Wrathion, wishing to feel the heat of his body. The paladin pursued to speak in a mumbled speech due to her being half-asleep:<br/>"In fact, I never experience the illusion of a dream or nightmare whenever I sleep; it is plain… Slumber." She shrugged; her brown eyes finally opened widely.<br/>"Curious." Remarked the dragon, his index finger reached out to gently trail her jawline. "Have you always had this… Disability?"<br/><br/>"For as long as I could remember." Declared the paladin while giving him a nod. Once again, she laid her head on the pillow, with a modest smile forming on her lips. "I often feel as if I have been missing out on something due to that." She released a chuckle in between her sentences; through the sheets one could see the shape of her legs trying to once again find a comfortable position.<br/><br/>"Everyone often describes their amusing or bizarre dreams; shamans and prophets can even foresee the future whilst they slumber." Tieria paused briefly, to look up at Wrathion, her slumberous eyes glancing at the dragon with adoration. Then she concluded her sentence while releasing a giggle: "Even literature often romanticizes the concept of a girl having nightmares, and her lover by her side holding her and bringing her comfort as she tries to forget that nightmare… I have never gotten to experience <em>that</em> either."<br/>Wrathion chuckled, he turned to rest on his elbow to face Tieria. Yet again, the paladin succeeded in deviating the dragon away from his staggering thoughts. He looked at her as she tried to stay awake, her eyes blinking heavily and the small smile still lingering on her ample lips.<br/><br/>"Are you sincerely regretting <em>not</em> having nightmares, dear templar?" The dragon asked in a laugh, to which Tieria giggled and shook her head.<br/>"I don't regret it… I simply wonder what it is like to have a dream." She purred in a smile, then she released another small yawn. "Either good or bad." Wrathion's chuckle intensified at her statement; gently his fingers began trailing her delicate jaw, guiding them around the line of her lips, memorizing their shape.</p><p>The Black Prince leaned down to press his lips on hers. Tieria smiled inwardly at the dragon's kiss; his hand began entangling itself in her hair as he deepened the kiss. The softness of her lips and the little moans of pleasure which escaped her mouth felt intoxicating to him. The kiss felt more engaged from Wrathion's side, given how the paladin struggled to stay awake. And yet, after the dragon pulled away, Tieria sank in her pillow with a large smile on her lips as if she was aching for more.<br/>Wrathion smirked as well, silently he watched as she was once again made herself comfortable in the soft mattress, like a feline purring in amenity. She opened her eyes, batting her long dark lashes at him, the satiating grin illuminating the delicate features of her face.</p><p>"Do dragons dream?" Queried Tieria, in a still dim tone. Wrathion licked his lips, as if he wanted to taste the kiss they just had shared, followed by another chuckle.<br/>"I recall you possessing a large journal with dragon studies. Have you not stumbled whenever we dream or not in your studies?" Teased Wrathion, thinking back of Hearthglen; the modest Argent Crusade town, which was the templar's home, and where she has brought him to after she and her Argent Crusade companions have harmed him and damaged his wing.<br/><br/>The Black Prince vividly remembered the Tieria's chamber, and the neatly organized desk where multiple maps, tomes and journals were laid across; all of them containing texts about dragons, some of them had illustrations of the creatures as well. It was quite a rich set of information regarding his kind, which inaugurated the dragon's interest in the templar. </p><p>"Just tell me." Giggled Tieria while rolling her eyes and releasing a faint scoff.<br/>"Dragons do dream." Elaborated Wrathion as he began gently stroking Tieria's bare shoulder; the softness of her skin brushing against his fingers gave a sedative feeling to the dragon. "Dreams are solely illusions, mixed with the events of reality; our kind is well aware that they are nothing but mirages; hence, we do not give them much thought."<br/>"And what was your most unforgettable dream?" She closed her eyes, while attentively listening to him. Wrathion took a small moment to think it through; he blinked emptily at the wooden wall across from him, as he began stroking his goatee.<br/>"It was a dream I have never gotten to experience in reality…" Began the Black Prince dreamingly. "Laying in bed with a beautiful woman."<br/><br/>He could not even begin to snicker at his joke, for Tieria immediately threw a lit hit into his stomach. The dragon released a teasing laugh as he reached out to cover his exposed abdomen, defending himself in case she would launch a second attack. Then he glanced down at the templar who still remained with her eyes shut, but with a small smile visible on her lips. She made no remark whatsoever, but it seemed she was amused by his light mocking.<br/><br/>"I do not know what to tell you, dear templar." Confessed Wrathion after his laughter has sated. "None of my dreams have been memorable. All of them have been simple illusions, fused with the actions I have done, witnessed or thought of in reality."<br/>"And what about nightmares?" Asked Tieria softly, tenderly she placed her palm upon the bruise on his chest.<br/><br/>Once again, Wrathion remained silent; he looked down at Tieria's fingers gently caressing the ugly, purple bruise on his bust, which wasn't sufficiently concealed by his chest hair. It has been nearly a week since his abduction and the torment the cultists and Xanesh have induced in him inside the Vault of the Shadowflame; in that time, Wrathion has recovered well, but his wound still lingered.<br/><br/>As he thought of an answer, the dragon has concluded that he has not had that many nightmares throughout his life; however, when the word 'nightmare' rang in his ears - the Black Prince thought of the dreadful encounter he had while being trapped into N'zoth's vision. He shuddered as the apparition of his corrupted self appeared in his mind, leading the Black Empire he so desperately tries to defeat.<br/>And the thought that this nightmare could be effortlessly achieved - made Wrathion's skin crawl in outrage.</p><p>All it took was one agreement, one pledge to serve the Old God - and he would be <em>the Black Emperor</em>.</p><p>Wrathion inhaled sharply while remembering <em>that</em> Black Emperor slaying Tieria. For the first time in since his existence, the dragon was experiencing such devoted feelings towards a soul; he did not dare to think what emotions would course through him should that very nightmare turn reality.</p><p>As he looked down upon the paladin, who was still waiting for his answer despite her sleeping state, Wrathion wondered whenever or not he should share the horrific vision he endured during his recovery. He speculated how would one mortal react to the knowledge that they might be slain by their own beloved, if their crusade would fail.<br/>Even someone as Tieria, who proved to be collected and truthful to the concept of how dark their reality can become, might not easily accept that horrid fact.<br/><br/>Wrathion could not theorize what would Tieria's actions be upon learning this; and in that moment, the Black Prince realized he did not desire to know.</p><p>"Nothing comes to mind." Whispered Wrathion in the end. Tieria made little to almost no reaction to his words, instantly the dragon caught on that the templar fell back asleep. Witnessing her giving in to her slumber so effortlessly, induced him to make the decision to make another attempt to sleep.<br/>He turned to extinguish the oil lamp, letting darkness descent in the cabin. Then he laid in the bed and reached out to Tieria's waist, pulling her close to his body. The templar released a soft moan, but nothing else; it seemed she was already in a state of trance. Tightly, the Black Prince shut his eyes, attempting his best to relax his mind and body, and let himself be taken over by sleep.</p><p>"<em>Let the tides draw you into my dream…</em>" Echoed the abyss.</p><hr/><p>Lorga haltingly began blinking, her blurry vision sharpening as she was waking up. While sobering into reality after her deep slumber, the shaman remained lying in the bed, mutely staring at the wooden ceiling of the chamber she was in.<br/><br/>She stretched her arms across the bed, as if she was trying to reach out towards something, or to be more specific - someone. Realizing that it was her missing mate she was searching for in bed, Lorga let out a sigh. After two decades of being side by side, Lorga would always miss her soulmate Rehgar whenever they were apart. The first days were bearable, but after a certain amount of weeks, she began aching for his touch, his voice, his presence, him.<br/><br/>The only aspect that kept her calm, was the fact that Rehgar was alongside their son, aiding the Earthen Ring in Uldum. Both of them were exceptional shamans, as well as strong warriors - nothing could defeat them - Lorga felt certain of that. She simply wished to fight alongside her boys.</p><p>Gently, the orc rose from the bed, her mind maintaining to visualize the image of her shamanic-gladiator mate and their son.<br/>As she glanced around, Lorga was surprised to find that the chamber was empty. Sheets were nicely folded on the spare beds, all the personal belongings her companions would carry were also gone.<br/><br/>To Lorga, it was an odd scene to encounter; ordinarily, the shaman would always be the first one to wake up and start the day before anyone else in her group. She was not certain what was the reason behind her overdue slumber, but the orc did not take a second longer to wonder.<br/>Swiftly, the Farseer grabbed her heavy shoulderpads and gauntlets, and proceeded to adjust them on her in haste. Then, once she was dressed in her heavy armor and her hairdo was set - she exited the resting cabin to search for her comrades.</p><p>As soon as she reached the main deck, Lorga saw her companions gathered in a small circle close to the edge of the boat. It seemed they were sharing breakfast, given that some of them held a mug in their hands or chewed on some cheese and bread, taken from the plate which was arranged on a barrel.<br/>It was another day with clear skies; the faint sea breeze reinvigorated the aged shaman. She turned her head to the direction her comrades were looking at, to find the land of Dustwallow Marsh visible on the horizon - they were mere hours away from reaching the Ebon Rest.</p><p>Lorga was greeted by Wrathion. The dragon had his bold smile displayed on his lips, and his crimson eyes shined with delight. It appeared to be that he was in a good mood, most likely due to the fact that they were reaching their destination soon, in a quite reasonable time too, given their fortunate smooth journey.<br/><br/>"Feeling well rested, Farseer?" Addressed the dragon in his usual egotistical tone. Lorga simply nodded in response, then she silently accepted a mug of a hot beverage from Haliki, who took it from the top of the barrel, where they had their modest breakfast settled.<br/>"What is our plan once we return to the Ebon Rest?" Asked the Farseer, after taking a moment to feel the hot mug of roasted beans beverage waking up her yet sleeping fingers.<br/>"We send a missive to Calthaire." Answered Wrathion in a half-smile. The certainty in his voice indicated that the dragon has already thoroughly planned the next steps. "It is no use to advance anywhere until we know the situation regarding the Forge of Wills."<br/><br/>"How will a messenger raven find her in the middle of a blizzard?" Interrogated Felassan, who was the only one who was not having any sort of beverage or breakfast snack.<br/>"All of the messenger ravens are imprinted on my agents. Those birds are trained and infused with magic, which allows them to track one even in the depths of the earth." Explained the Black Prince.<br/>"Handy." Commented Caradin, he smacked his lips loudly after taking another sip of his drink. "But it still means we're gonna have ta wait at least a week for the bloody bird ta get ta Storm Peaks." Countered the dwarf, his expression dulled at the thought of simply <em>waiting</em>.</p><p>"In the meantime, I will reach out to Speaker Magni; and request him to come to the Ebon Rest." Continued Wrathion in a collected tone, his eyes were fixated on the landmass of Dustwallow Marsh as he spoke: "I wish to hear in person of the situation of the cultists attack in Uldum, as well as the state of the veil between Azeroth and Ny'alotha."<br/>"So we're gonna just sit around, waitin' for yer agents to come back, and "speculate" our attack in the meantime?" Complained Caradin; he well understood how important it was to plan an assault in order for it to be successful, but the dwarf could not help but assume the Black Prince was stretching out the time before the battle for too long.<br/><br/>"I assure you will not be as bored as you might think, Sergeant." Wrathion plastered another smile on his dapper face. "In fact, I do have certain <em>ventures</em> outlined for you once we reach the Ebon Rest."<br/>"Ventures?" Caradin narrowed his eyes and crinkled his nose, while analyzing the enticing smirk the dragon had on his lips. "What ventures?"<br/>"I shall repeat myself: once we reach the Ebon Rest." Purred the Black Prince, his eyes flickering with an indescribable shine. Caradin grunted, clearly displeased by Wrathion's teasing and evasiveness, but did not add anything else to this conversation. He simply took a step back to take a seat upon the stairs which led to the upper deck, where the captain was controlling the ship, and resumed his breakfast in silence.</p><hr/><p>Everyone was impatiently getting off the ship as soon as it touched the shore of Dustwallow Marsh. The Black Prince, however, remained aboard. He waited until Hawke dropped the anchor and ensured the ship was in a stable and fixed position; the moment the captain approached him, Wrathion immediately laid out his command:</p><p>"I will bring some of my agents here in the upcoming hours with supplies, assignment papers, and a map. They will join you on your next quest." Said the Black Prince calmly, watching as the human treasure hunter nodding at each of his sentences, his dark brows knitted together as he was memorizing the dragon's orders:<br/><br/>"You will not be commanding them, much like they will not command you or your crew; but you are tasked to work <em>together</em>."<br/>"Where we'll be headin'?" Inquired Hawke, his nose slightly flinching upon the mention of working alongside a group of strangers, but he made no verbal remark.<br/>"To Uldum." Breathed Wrathion simply. "I will bring the details later." He pulled a smirk on his lips as he said: "For now, you deserved a well-earned rest. Enjoy it."<br/>Hawke nodded Wrathion, then he shouted to the rest of his crew to be at ease and relax. With that, the dragon took his leave as well, rejoining his champions who were waiting for him on the moist soil of Dustwallow Marsh.</p><p>The path from the eastern shore towards the scouting tower where the Ebon Rest laid underneath it, was a relatively short walk, even by foot. It was the daunting, wet and hot swamp air and muddy paths which prolonged their journey.<br/><br/>"Dis be where the mighty garrison be? Ya prepare ta fight an Old God in a swamp?" Blurted Haliki grumpily, while having a tiring battle against a mosquito, which was constantly hovering around him.<br/>"The sanctuary itself is <em>much more</em> pleasant." Stated Tieria breathlessly, she had an usual ugly glisten on her skin from sweating and the glow in her eyes marked that she was already tired. "Trust me."<br/><br/>Haliki croaked grumpily, then hissed in irritation, for the mosquito had succeeded in biting him in his bare shoulder. The troll slapped away the insect, then he looked at Felassan, who was walking right next to him. The night elf was pacing calmly; he did not growl, complain nor exhale from neither the humidity nor the mosquitos - it seemed he was hardly affected by anything.<br/><br/>"Mosquitos don't bite night elves?" Guessed Haliki as he glanced at Felassan, while simultaneously slapping off another mosquito which dared to fly into his direction. The demon hunter released an empty chuckle, his blinded gaze focused on the path ahead.<br/>"I highly doubt mosquitos are interested in drinking half-demonic blood." Stated Felassan in a light tone, which still sounded quite grim given the low and growling-like voice he had.<br/>The Zandalari troll grunted, miffed that he seemed to be the mosquitos main target, and somewhat jealous, over the fact that the demon hunter was able to ignore the unpleasant surroundings.</p><p>Upon reaching the abandoned tower, the group immediately detected an unexpected figure, standing outside. The male silhouette slowly paced back and forth on the broken roof of the tower, scouting the surroundings. As soon as Wrathion and his comrades were standing at the entrance of the ruined building, the unanticipated scout jumped down, revealing himself to be agent Cullen.</p><p>He readjusted his leather vest, as he stood before the Black Prince, his brown eyes blinking in slight distress and his face flushing red from the difficult humid atmosphere of the swamp.<br/><br/>"Cullen!" Greeted Wrathion, clearly taken by surprise to see his agent outside the Ebon Rest; given that he strictly ordered everyone to remain within the underground sanctuary until his return.<br/>The dragon's dark brows snapped together in temper; his face contorted as he began theorizing what could have occurred inside the Ebon Rest while he was away.<br/><br/>"You did not lock yourself outside our garrison, have you?" Sighed the Black Prince in a jesting tone, hoping that this was a mere slip-up from his agents.<br/>Cullen released a cough to clear out his throat before speaking; as he shook his head, he politely addressed to Wrathion:<br/>"No, my Lord." The blonde man said confidently. "A certain… <em>Incident </em>has occurred a couple of days ago." He paused while watching the Black Prince's companions exchanging alarmed looks while his Master's glare darkened.<br/><br/>"Were you under attack?" Asked Tieria, startled by what the Blacktalon agent has just told; Cullen instantly began shaking his head.<br/>"No!" Replied the agent. He sighed, running his gloved fingers through his short, curly locks. By the look on his face, the man seemed to struggle how to give a proper explanation without spending too much time in these uncomfortable outdoors. By simply glancing at their faces, Cullen realized that much like him, his Master and his champions, desired to be inside the cool underground sanctuary, rather than stand in the middle of the swamp.</p><p>He took a deep breath, then summarized the discussion as basic as he could:<br/>"Five knights of the Silver Hand arrived a couple of days ago. They came during the night, and given that they are paladins, they were able to open the secret passage themselves." Cullen watched as everyone's eyes widened upon hearing the revelation, but the agent continued before anyone could begin posing questions: "Apparently, the order of the paladins have recently begun reclaiming all the hidden sanctuaries from around the world. Lord Maxwell Tyrosus is leading this particular group."<br/><br/>"I take it they were taken by surprise to find you here?" Assumed Wrathion while crossing his arms. His face twisting as his agent gave him a nod.<br/>"Yes." Stated Cullen. "We have briefly told them of the situation, but we refrained from giving too many details. Many of us thought you should talk to them in depth, my Lord."<br/>"I see." Nodded Wrathion, within himself he appreciated his agents' decision, albeit his expression remained hardened. "And what did the paladins say to that?"<br/>"They seemed… Interested in our cause, and have elected to remain until your return. However, they seem firm in taking charge of the quest - given how it is '<em>their</em>' sanctuary." The dragon frowned at Cullen's reply, but remained silent; if he could persuade an ignorant treasure hunter into serving him, he that was certain he could convince some holy knights.</p><p>"Knights of the Silver Hand?" Repeated Caradin, his bushy blonde eyebrows lifting in surprise. The dwarf swiftly turned to Tieria, addressing warmly to her: "Yer fellows! I am sure if you explain how you found this place - there will be no issues between us and 'em."<br/>"<em>No</em>." Breathed Tieria sharply, her face growing pale. Her expression was stone cold. She licked her lips and eyed everyone around her, as she took a step back. She remained quiet, unwilling to add anything else to her icy and negative statement.<br/><br/>"Why not?" Asked Caradin confused, his face dawning in concern as he glanced at his friend. Tieria's lips curled in discomfort, she swallowed heavily, and oddly enough - look up at Felassan. The demon hunter's expression, as per usual, was stone.<br/>"Last time… I had a disagreement with some from the order." Mumbled the paladin restrained, returning her gaze at the rest of the companions.<br/><br/>Wrathion's eyes narrowed as he looked at Tieria; the dragon detected that the templar was not speaking the whole truth. Something in her mannerism - the dry voice, the quivering moves, the gleam in her brown eyes - was completely out of Tieria's ordinary behavior. He opened his mouth to speak, to call her out for her hesitant attitude, but he was swiftly interrupted by Felassan.</p><p>"'<em>Disagreement</em>' is an understatement." Intervened the demon hunter, he took a step forward and looked down at Tieria, who returned his gaze with a glare.<br/>"Don't, Felassan." Gritted Tieria between her teeth.<br/>"I warned you that this situation of yours will come out." Argued the Illidari. "Better tell them right here, right now - before those paladins will twist the truth."<br/><br/>Tieria snarled, her pale face returned to its natural colour, only to then deepen in a bright shade of red. Her eyes shined with distress, as the paladin was debating within herself her next set of actions. She once again glanced around the group, watching as all of her companions were waiting for something. Her eyes locked into Wrathion's; much like the rest, the dragon was awaiting something to unfold.<br/><br/>"Tieria. What is it?" Wrathion addressing her brought the templar back to reality. The dragon looked impatient, and with a mixture of confusion and even a tint of concern. But Tieria felt as if someone lashed away her vocal cords, and stood mute. She remained silent, looking at the Black Prince as if she had just betrayed him.</p><p>However, right there - in that awkward moment - Felassan spoke instead of her; breathing a sentence she hoped she would have never have to say or hear out loud:<br/>"She was exiled from the Sanctum of Light." Declared the demon hunter firmly. His words echoed over and over in Tieria's mind, while he continued to speak: "She's no longer a paladin of the Silver Hand."<br/>"Lass… What did ye do?" Breathed Caradin in disbelief upon hearing that divulgement. It seemed not even her closest friend knew of this; nothing but utter shock and nihilism was painted on the dwarf's hardened face. <br/><br/>"I've defiled orders." Began the paladin weakly, staring emptily on the particular block of stone from the tower floor; the one where the symbol of the Silver Hand was sculpted upon. Her voice grew in a tone of hatred, as she continued to list the actions which have caused her exile: "I have hurt fellow templars… Desecrated a holy tomb, and I... Have destroyed the Ashbringer."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>"You are one of them, aren't you?" Addressed Tieria softly to the wounded night elf, which laid half-conscious on the bed in the infirmary in the city of Dalaran. "An Illidari?" Her eyes continued to roam his egregious demonic features as she waited for an answer.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Felassan grunted tiringly. His head was spinning, his muscles were tense from his wounds. Instead of replying to the woman who has just saved his life, the demon hunter began trailing back the events which led to him being stranded, bleeding heavily on the grass in the middle of Azsuna.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He vividly recalled charging towards the Legion's warship alongside his fellow demon hunters, Kayn, Allari and Jade; their plan was to overthrow them from their own battleship and seize its control. But it ultimately failed; given how the Illidari had succeeded in conquering one of their warships before - the ship named Fel Hammer - the demons were expecting this attack from the demon hunter, and had far more reinforcements than Felassan and his comrades anticipated.<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>The battle upon the commandship began and ended in a blink of an eye - the Illidari were losing, and Kayn called out for retreat. It was Felassan who opened a portal which would allow them to escape, and as his companions went through the portal, the night elf was fighting back the Legion for as long as he could. But in that moment, an Inquisitor demon caught the eye of the portal, and commanded its minions to go after the Illidari, forcing Felassan to sacrifice himself and shut down the portal in order to allow his fellow Illidari to escape without the Legion chasing after them.<br/><br/></em>
  <em>Felassan refused to be captured or to be slain by the Legion; hence, he leaped off the battleship, while evading the fel blasts the demon would relentlessly fire at him. To his unfortunate, he was struck in his back mid-air. Next thing he realized, he collapsed on the ground, dirt and grass were soaking in his open wounds.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Felassan opened his eyes, having the sensation that he was naked, given the fact he was not wearing his blindfold, albeit he still wore his leather breeches. He began analyzing the young woman who was sitting next to his bed. He watched as she extended her left palm, a shimmer of white light enveloping her hand as she closed her eyes.<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Was she a priestess?" Wondered the demon hunter. No; her armor - the long dark gold and blue steel kilt and chestpiece, as well as the heavy plate gauntlets and shoulderpads; that large longsword, made out of thorium, which was lying against the wall by her side. It was clear that she was too heavily dressed for a priestess.<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>"You are a paladin…" Stated Felassan weakly, the Light she healed him with, stung his wounds rather than healing them.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"I am." She affirmed."My name is Tieria."</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Your name does not matter to me." Gritted Felassan.<br/><br/>He forced himself to lift his torso, standing eye to eye with the templar. She was compelled to retrieve her hand, watching the demon hunter with both confusion and awareness. Felassan noticed by her stiff body movement that the paladin was still awry around the demon hunter.<br/><br/>"Your order. Your garrison, the Sanctum of Light, is in danger. The Legion is planning an attack on your kind."</em>
  <br/>
  <em>The paladin's eyes widened at his sudden warning, she opened her mouth but no words came out. Her thinly shaped eyebrows drew together as she blinked at him.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"How do you know of the Sanctum of Light?" Interrogated Tieria with a slight hostility. "That sanctuary is secret to those who do not possess the Light."<br/></em>
  <em>"It is not as secret as you might think." Spat Felassan, running his claw-shaped nails through his dark hair. "The Legion knows of it; and your leader must be warned of their upcoming invasion."<br/><br/></em>
  <em>"Tirion Fordring is dead." Announced the templar grimly. Her own words left a sour taste in her mouth. "We have no leader." Felassan opened his mouth to speak again, but was swiftly interrupted by Tieria: "<strong>How</strong> do you know of this? What sort of invasion are you speaking of?"<br/></em>
  <em>"After being freed from the Wardens prison, we, the Illidari, began devising a plan to attack the Burning Legion at its heart." Divulged the demon hunter, he attempted to be brief, as to not steer away too much from the primary subject of this discussion. "Once, when we seized one of their ships - we learnt that a dreadlord, Balnazzar, was intending on attacking the paladin order and capturing them. It seems the Legion are interested in experimenting how someone wielding the Light would react to Fel magic."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tieria remained silent, quite overwhelmed by what the Illidari had told her. Her gaze lingered at him, debating whenever she should trust this demon hunter.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Seeing how she did not react, Felassan took in a deep breath, exhaling away his irritation.<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Vranesh, Reha, Baatun, Wilhelm." Sputtered the demon hunter provoked; time was of the essence, and he loathed the fact that he was stuck in an infirmary, trying to make sense to a paladin that she is in danger. "What do those names mean to you?"</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Her pupils flared at what he had just said; Felassan caught the eye of a muscle in her jaw twitching.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"They are the paladins who disappeared during their mission in Azsuna." Breathed Tieria, her eyes widened to hear the Illidari speaking the name of her comrades who she had lost a couple of days ago.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The small group of templars were sent as reinforcements to aid Archmage Khadgar, who was trying to uncover an important artifact in the land of Azsuna. Only two days after they were dispatched, those within the Sanctum of Light received a letter from the Archmage, asking why the order had not sent any reinforcements as they promised to do.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>This drove the templars from the holy sanctuary in a panic; they began wondering and theorizing what could have happened to their brothers and sisters of the Light.<br/><br/>Soon enough, it was decided that Tieria alongside Vindicator Boros and few other recruits, would attempt to trace the footsteps of their disappeared comrades. That is when Tieria has encountered the fallen demon hunter, and has separated from her squad, in order to bring this broken soul in Dalaran to be healed.<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>"They did not disappear. They are imprisoned by the Legion." Declared Felassan; he gritted his teeth as he attempted to rise on his feet. "And many more of your kind will soon follow."</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Tieria blinked at first, watching as Felassan was struggling to keep his own balance. Then she instantly rose from the chair, determination shone in her brown eyes. She approached Felassan to reach for his arm, and wrapped it around her shoulder.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Come," She said. "I am taking you to the Sanctum of Light."</em>
</p><hr/><p>"Bringing Felassan to the Sanctum of Light was my first offense which led to my exile - having someone who does not worship the Light upon the holy grounds was considered disobedience." Said Tieria, her arms were crossed and she continued to look upon the dirty stone ground as she spoke. "The templars were shouting that Felassan's presence might attract other demons."<br/>"Neither of the paladins believed neither me nor her." Added the demon hunter. "They were too furious with my presence to see reason."<br/><br/>"They thought the concept of the Legion experiment on paladins an absurd notion; and that our missing comrades might have perished in battle." Continued Tieria irritated. "When Felassan suggested launching an attack on the Legion stronghold where the abducted templars were, the high paladins said it would be a loss of resources. They also claimed that at the moment, it was more important to hunt down the demon who had slain Highlord Fordring."<br/>"So you transgressed?" Surmised Farseer; the tone in which she spoke sounded more of a statement rather than question. Tieria nodded at her, continuing to refuse to look at anyone.</p><p>"There were some who believed me, and reached out to me regarding finding this dreadlord and the missing paladins." Told Tieria, a tint of melancholy was heard in her voice. It seemed she abhorred reliving that situation. "In secret, Felassan and I began forming a plan to assault the stronghold Balnazzar was in." Her jaw clenched upon saying the next words: "Those recruits who joined my plot began addressing me as Highlord. At that time… I thought I was worthy of that title…" She sighed and closed her eyes.<br/><br/>"I assaulted the guards who defended Highlord Fordgring's tomb, and stole the Ashbringer, then I led the assault. I knew Ashrbinger was a powerful weapon, I felt in my heart that I <em>needed</em> it to slay Balnazzar… That I would honor Highlord Fordring by killing this dreadlord and saving our brothers and sisters of the Light." Suddenly, she cut off from continuing retelling those events. Her face once again was pale, her eyes shined weakly on the ground as she released a defeating sigh.<br/>"Tieria and I had a small team of paladins and Illidari." Felassan took over to retell their story upon seeing Tieria losing herself in that memory. "In a matter of two days, we charged with our small team into Felsoul Hold. It was a Legion stronghold in Suramar."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>"Rest in the Light's warmth, brother." Whispered Tieria glancing upon the body of Talren Highbeacon; he bravely gave his life to distract the pit lord who guarded the entrance of the massive demonic citadel, allowing Tieria and the rest of the paladins to gain ground on the Legion's stronghold.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Gently, she pushed his eyelids to shut his eyes, then rose on her feet. She was well aware that they had to leave his body behind, and she shed a small tear upon realizing that she may not give him a proper burial.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"We have to press the attack!" Approached Felassan, his warglaives covered in demonic blood. "It is only a matter of time before Balnazzar learns of our assault."</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Tieria gripped the Ashbringer tightly in her hand and nodded to the demon hunter. She combed away a few strands of hair which covered her eyes with her free hand, and motioned to Felassan to lead the way.<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>"I have to admit, I was taken by surprise at your sudden trust in me." Confessed Felassan as he and Tieria were running up the stairs towards the upper floor of the demonic citadel, with the Illidari and paladins following right behind them. "Not every day you encounter one which blindly puts faith into someone."</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"It is not 'blind faith'." Corrected Tieria. "Something inside of me… The Light inside of me, whispered to me to trust you." She professed with confidence. "And I was correct in doing it - all of the missing paladins are here… It is a shame we were too late to find them."<br/><br/></em>
  <em>"We will avenge them." Comforted Felassan, for the first time, he gave Tieria a smile.</em>
</p><hr/><p>"Balnazzar expected our arrival." Summarized Tieria, pushing herself to finish reciting this story. "He sent reinforcements to block our assault, but as the Illidari and the paladins were fighting off the demons, Felassan and I charged towards the dreadlord."<br/><br/>Tieria glanced at her opened palm, in which she once held the Ashbringer. She attempted to relieve the feeling of holding that mighty weapon. The templar could not describe the strength she felt when she sliced a foe with that sword, the stamina she had as she carried it proudly over her shoulder… She even found herself more beautiful, whenever she would see her reflection in the perfect polished blade. It was a truly unique sensation, which can never be replaced… And which she shattered into pieces.</p><p>"The dreadlord succeeded in bringing down Felassan, and when he was about to deliver his final blast towards him, I charged into him and his magic hit the Ashbringer." The sound of the blade shattering into million fragments echoed in the templar's mind, as she blinked away that image. "It broke… Scattering everywhere on the floor. But with the broken blade I leaped towards Balnazzar and pierced the broken Ashbringer into his chest, searing him with the Light."</p><p>She turned to look at Felassan; as per usual, she was unable to read the demon hunter's dry expression. But he understood that glimmer in her eyes, comprehending that she desired for him to conclude the recollection.<br/><br/>"We separated swiftly after." Reiterated the demon hunter. "Tieria with only two surviving paladins returned to the Sanctum of the Light, and she has elected to make the <em>stupid</em> decision of not telling the rest from the Order of what has occurred."<br/>Tieria turned her head away from the demon hunter, pressing her lips thinly against one another as he pursued to speak in a harsh tone.<br/><br/>"Naturally, someone else has told the truth." Continued Felassan, he spat aggressively, as if he was scolding a child for lying. "And instead of retelling how Tieria led everyone to victory, succeeding in avenging the deceased paladins and killing Balnazzar - the recruit has only told of her mistakes: defying orders, leading fellow templars into a well-guarded Legion stronghold, destroying the Ashbringer." The demon hunter released an empty chuckle, giving one final glance at the paladin: "After hearing this, the council was not interested in her reasoning, no matter how well it was justified."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>"What you have done is beyond redemption, Tieria!" Yelled Vindicator Boros, his strong voice echoing loudly within the halls.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Tieria stood at the end of the table, glancing at the broken hilt of Ashbringer, as the draenei pursued to release his anger: "You blindly trusted a half-demon, rather than your own brothers of the Light!"<br/></em>
  <em>"Balnazzar is dead because of <strong>me</strong>!" She argued back, slamming her palms powerfully against the table, despite her left arm being severely bruised. Tieria did not flinch from pain, she was too focused at the paladins in front of her, </em>
  <em>to feel any physical suffering.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"And at what cost?" Spat Justicar Julia. "Good men died because of your reckless orders, one of the most important artifacts of our order is shattered beyond repair because of your defiance!" She glared at Tieria, her freckled face twisted in an ugly expression.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"That weapon is an important asset to us!" Replied Tieria angrily. "It is a powerful sword, which all of <strong>you</strong> have decided to leave buried and gather dust!"<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Have you no respect for Highlord Fordring?!" Barked Vindicator Boros; never in her entire life has Tieria seen a draenei fuming with such anger. These creatures were known for their tranquility, wisdom and compassion; however, Boros' wrinkles and facelines were so deeply contorted that he resembled his corrupted brethren - the eredar.<br/></em>
  <em>"I do! More than any one of you!" Shouted Tieria, her voice nearly breaking apart. "And I wanted to honor his legacy by bringing down a threat to us with his sword and his spirit!"</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"All ye did is forever shatter his legacy!" Commented Valgar Highforge. He reached out to grab the broken hilt with a silk cloth, gently wrapping it in the material.<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>Tieria remained silent, she bit her tongue as she felt nothing but rage, which would prompt her to simply insult everyone present like an uneducated farmer; and she knew she was more than that. She fell back into the chair, refusing to gaze upon any of her comrades.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Everyone's voices died out as well, soon enough, the Sanctum of Light stood in utter silence. It was a disquieting stillness; it was not the calm silence which occurred during the time of mourning those fallen, or the serene one, which envelops the halls of the sanctuary when the templars are gathered to pray to the Light. This stillness felt as if it was gripping everyone's souls, wringing out every negative feeling which lied dormant deep within them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"While you were being tended to your wounds." Began Lord Grayson Shadowbreaker. The dark haired human flipped through the holy pages of the Tome of Divinity as he spoke grimly: "We had our brothers and sisters vote which fate you shall receive for your actions."<br/></em>
  <em>Tieria listened mutely, her eyes focused on her hands which were in her lap, annoyingly tugging a piece of thread which dangled outside her breeches.<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>"You are to be exiled from the Sanctum of Light and removed from the Knights of the Silver Hand organization." Declared Lord Grayson firmly.<br/><br/></em>
  <em>She ripped apart the thread upon hearing the sentence and inhaled sharply. So many emotions were soaring through her, that not even the most skilled scribbler could list them all down. Her glare remained on the piece of thread, as she refused to look up at the rest of the paladins who had their eyes on her. Everyone awaited her reaction. Seconds, minutes passed…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Has everyone voted for my exile?" Inquired Tieria darkly, her gaze still remaining down. She began wrapping the thread tightly around her index finger, until she would see it lose its ivory color.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"There were few who desire for you to stay." Asserted Lord Grayson, he swiftly glanced at Maxwell then back at Tieria. "These are desperate times, and we all must band together. However, we cannot simply tolerate someone who shows no respect towards our order."<br/></em>
  <em>"You were so confident in fighting the dreadlord by yourself." Spat Julia insultingly. "Then go off, and fight them without us!"<br/></em>
  <br/>
  <em>Tieria clenched her jaw, thinking of a comeback to give to her templar-sister but refrained herself from doing it. She continued to pull the thread around her finger, feeling the muscles of her index going numb.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>"Leave your libram here, as well as your armor and tabard." Ordered Lord Grayson, unlike Justicar Julia, he spoke calmly and with somewhat respect towards Tieria. "From here forth, you are forever banished from the Sanctum of the Light!"</em>
</p><hr/><p>"'<em>If you keep walking on this path… the Light will forsake you.</em>', they said before I left." Concluded Tieria, her lips curled in disgust and her brows knitted together.<br/>Soon enough, after a small moment of silence, Caradin, who almost had tears in his eyes, looked up at his friend and spoke:</p><p>"Ye kept this regret hidden away from me for so long, Tia?" Breathed Caradin in disbelief. "From the whole Argent Crusade?"<br/>"Regret?" Repeated Tieria, then she released an empty chuckle. "I <em>do not</em> <em>regret</em> it! Balnazzar is dead because of <em>me</em>, <em>I</em> drove the Ashbringer into his black heart! Felassan and I brought down an important Legion stronghold, which led to saving the order in the first place and allowed the others to successfully assaulting the Tomb of Sargeras; <em>ending</em> that bloody invasion!"<br/><br/>Tieria spoke angrily and rapidly, glaring at her friend in a manner she has never done before:<br/><br/>"I do not regret it. I had to take the matter-"<br/>"Into your own hands." Cut off Wrathion dryly. He recalled saying that exact same sentence when he confessed his actions to Tieria. All the dragon could think of at that moment was the amusing, delicious irony.<br/>"Yes." She gritted quietly between her teeth, locking her eyes into the dragon's.</p><p>The paladin and the Black Prince stared at each other unblinking; Tieria's body slightly trembled while silence settled within the group. Everyone was soaking in Tieria's and Felassan's story; nobody expected to hear such a long, arduous story only inches away from their safe sanctuary. The story was a lot to swallow particularly for Caradin and Wrathion.<br/><br/>Lorga, found herself being impressed by the templar's actions, for she always thought Tieria could barely stand against a demon by herself. To hear that she succeeded in leading a charge against a dreadlord, was impressive. And Haliki, who barely knew Tieria and Felassan, found it simply fascinating; give that the Zandalari troll knew little of the Burning Legion invasion, and how the people of Azeroth succeeded in putting a stop to it.</p><p>It was Caradin and Wrathion, who had a closer relationship with the paladin, who were affected by this unveil.<br/><br/>Caradin could not help but feel betrayed. The dwarf sergeant has known and cared for Tieria since her youth; he was the one who trained her into becoming the fine warrior that she was today, and he was also the one who stood by her side during her father's final moments. He aided her into pursuing her first love, while she encouraged him to propose to Eleina. They have fought countless battles together, and have celebrated each of their victories together.<br/><br/>To hear that she has chosen to hide from Caradin such an important event from her life, made the dwarf winder if he overestimated the aspect of their friendship. He would have understood Felassan omitting to divulge this, but not her. As he looked at the young lass, he pondered how she would behaved in that situation, if Caradin had been by her side.<br/><br/>During the Burning Legion invasion, while Tieria was fighting the demons on the Broken Isles, Caradin was leading one of the Argent Crusade branches on the Eastern Kingdoms. They traveled from territory to territory, chasing away the demon assaults which disturbed the everyday lives of the denizens of Azeroth. It was only at the final battle, which took place at the grounds of the Tomb of Sargeras, that the paladin and the dwarf reunited, and once more, fought together like in the old days.</p><p>"In the end - your actions from the past do not apply to the current situation." Said Lorga, breaking apart the tension by redirecting the topic of the conversation. "These paladins are here to reclaim something which is already claimed. Unless they are willing to join our crusade, they can have their sanctuary back after we have succeeded."<br/>Wrathion nodded silently. His crimson eyes were in turmoil, it seemed he was still grasping Tieria's revelation.<br/><br/>In truth, the dragon has suspected there was some sort of 'misfortune' between the templar and her order. Whenever either the knights of the Silver Hand or the Sanctum of Light would become the subject of a conversation, Tieria would instantly become distressed. But not even Wrathion had expected to hear this was the reason for her tension; it was truly, shocking.<br/>Nonetheless, the Black Prince understood her reasoning to keep it secret. He, out of all people, knew what it was like to bury your past.</p><p>The dragon silently began approaching the templar; Tieria's eyes flashed with a shine of guilt. She nibbled on her dry, bottom lip until he stood right before Tieria, only inches apart from her.<br/><br/>"I know I'm a hypocrite." Breathed Tieria with a fake smile, falling back into the memory of how furious she was when she discovered the secret and lie Wrathion had kept from her regarding <em>his</em> actions during the Burning Legion's invasion. Even at that time, the paladin knew she was behaving irrationally, but has refused to admit until much later.<br/>Wrathion released an empty chuckle at her statement, he reached out to grab her chin.<br/>"You are." He said in a light tone; his alluring smirk appeared on his lips. "But that was not what I intended on saying. Open the entrance, and let us face those paladins."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Impetus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lord Maxwell Tyrosus sighed in relief upon hearing the stone block from the ceiling sliding itself away, and opening the hidden entryway. The time has once-leader of the Argent Dawn order, positioned himself in front of the round stairs, as the echo of multiple footsteps beginning to descend down, rang within the vast hall.</p><p>Maxwell and his Silver Hand comrades have arrived in Dustwallow Marsh a couple of days ago, in hope to reclaim the holy underground garrison, which was built by the paladins of old during the Scourge invasion upon the Lordaeron Kingdom. To his, and everyone else's utter surprise - the supposedly-abandoned sanctuary was being used, serving as a commanding base to a <em>black dragon</em>.<br/>The dragon himself was absent during Maxwell's arrival, but the Silver Hand knights were greeted by various rogues, hunters and warriors who served him; they were called Blacktalon. Most of them were humans, but there were some night elves, orcs, and blood elves who also served the so-called Black Prince.</p><p>The fact that the Silver Hand sanctuary was occupied by non-Light wielders, was unanticipated enough for Maxwell and the rest; however, their perplexity only grew when they learnt the reason behind it.<br/>The Blacktalon agents have spoken of how their Master is using this garrison to run an operation to fight against the cultist threat, which has recently been rising throughout various corners of Azeroth, and he seeks a way to heal the wound in Silithus alongside Speaker Magni himself.</p><p>This discovery has brought the Silver Hand paladins into a state of turbulence. They have come here, seeking to restore this place only to find it restored, and serving a noble purpose which aligns with theirs.</p><p>However, the black dragonflight have an immoral, twisted reputation as well as history throughout Azeroth; and when the paladins have learnt that the leader of this operation was the son of Neltharion himself, one who is now known as the Aspect of Death - Maxwell and his comrades felt it was necessary to stand before this dragon themselves and see what he personally has to say about his <em>campaign</em>.<br/>And there was still the matter of the mysterious paladin or priest, who located and granted the opening to this sanctuary to the black dragon. The Blacktalon agents failed to divulge a name, leaving Maxwell pondering on how that particular soldier of the Light knew of the sacred underground garrison.</p><p>"So, you are the Black Prince?" Maxwell Tyrosus' voice echoed firmly within the main hall. The Silver Hand champion watched as the enigmatic, exotic looking half-elf approached him, followed by an odd combination of a dwarf, a zandalari troll, an orc, a grim-looking night elf and a human, who walked closely to the night elf, practically cowering behind his well-toned back.<br/>"Indeed, I am." Addressed the Black Prince pompously, his crimson eyes squinted as he sized up Maxwell. "And you must be Lord Maxwell Tyrosus. My agent has already told me of your <em>errand</em>." He said while motioning his head to Cullen, the human rogue whom Maxwell talked to in these previous days, and has told the paladin all the information regarding his Master, who now stood before him.</p><p>Maxwell simply nodded at the half-elf, as he was still adjusting to this unusual situation; the Silver Hand knight has seen, spoken to and fought various races on Azeroth, but this was the first time he ever spoke to a dragon. Albeit the creature was masked behind the appearance of a half-elf, Maxwell could still feel the mightiness of a dragon within him.</p><p>As the paladin stood silent, the Black Prince continued to speak:<br/>"I understand there is a certain discussion we need to hold. However, I shall by blunt and declare that my companions and I have just returned from a tiring and overlong journey;" Elaborated the dragon with a small smirk forming on his dark lips. "I would insist on postponing this meeting until the evening, to allow myself as well as my champions to recover."</p><p>Maxwell took a moment to soak in the Black Prince's words, then he gave another silent nod. The paladin waited these past days for this person's appearance - he could wait another couple of hours. <em>He</em> out of all people, also understood how draining traveling can be.<br/>His journey from the Light's Hope Chapel to Dustwallow Marsh was just as exhausting; and when he had just arrived in the particular sanctuary, he wanted nothing more but to lay down, even on a cold, dusty, spider-infested floor. To find this underground chamber restored with comfortable beds and warm fireplaces was a treat granted by the Light, which he and his companions humbly relished while waiting for the dragon's arrival.</p><p>"I find it agreeable." Stated Maxwell; then his coral-shade brows furrowed together, as he began to pose his question: "However, I must insist on knowing - in this very moment - who is the individual who grants you the opening to this sanctuary?"</p><p>Wrathion's smile deepen; he took a step to the side, and glanced to his right as the paladin whom Maxwell inquired about, revealed herself. She took a step forward, walking away from the night elf she hid. She stopped right before Maxwell, staring at the paladin with a blank look in her brown eyes.</p><p>"Tieria Adriel…" Exhaled Maxwell while slowly shaking his red head. His visible eye widened at the sight of the templar, who now had a tarnished reputation among the Silver Hand. "Something in my head is echoing that I should have known." He sized her up, analyzing her changed appearance since the last time he had seen her. Tieria remained silent; her stone gaze continued to linger at her once comrade. Her rose-pink lips were tightly pressed against one another.</p><p>"It's been too long." Breathed Maxwell melancholic, to which Tieria nodded haltingly.<br/>"The other four paladins." Began Tieria in an inhospitable tone. "Who are they?"<br/>"One of them is a new recruit, a young lad, hailing from Northshire." Explained the Silver Hand paladin without reservation; he understood Tieria's desire to know who from the order were present inside this sanctum. "The other two are Vindicator Aesom, a draenei who served on Bloodmyst Isle until the Legion's attack, and Cyssa Dawnrose, a Blood Knight." Maxwell took a pause, which Tieria sensed was a hesitation rather a pause. "Justicar Julia Celeste is also accompanying me."</p><p>A muscle in Tieria's jaw tightened upon hearing that particular name. Alongside Vindicator Boros, Julia Celeste was the one who treated Tieria the rudest in the aftermath of the events which have led her to be exiled. Even after Tieria's departure from the Sanctum of Light, Justicar Julia was one who remained to vilify her; invariably reminding the other paladins of <em>'the sins their sister have committed</em>' and warned them to never walk in Tieria's footsteps, whilst declaring that eventually Tieria will lose the Light from within her.</p><p>The Justicar's actions were harsh, and uncharacteristic of Julia; although she was known to be quite ruthless - she was not a bad person, not one who would easily mistreat <em>any</em> soul. This ugly mannerism surfaced from her after Tieria harmed the wardens who were stationed to preserve Highlord Fordgring's tomb. One of the guards was Julia's younger brother, and albeit Tieria never intended on inducing too much damage, the paladin has succeeded in harming the young man greatly. Severely enough that he is never able to use his sword arm.<br/>Tieria heavily carried the guilt regarding that particular matter; nonetheless - she did not want to be reminded of it; which is something that would most likely occur, given Justicar Julia's presence in the Ebon Rest.</p><p>The reticence between Tieria and Maxwell lingered for what felt too long; eventually Tieria broke away the silence by mumbling underneath her breath, as she walked away with hasting steps:<br/>"We will discuss in the meeting, as Wrathion said." With that she paced towards her private quarters, her plate boots echoing heavily within the hall with each step she took.<br/>Maxwell resumed his gaze at Wrathion, the dragon pulled another smirk and gave a light shrug. Something in his crimson eyes made Maxwell realize that the Black Prince predicted Tieria's actions, and was hardly surprised; the rest of his companions were just as unimpressed.</p><p>"I will inform the rest of my comrades of the upcoming meeting in the evening." Declared Maxwell, his eyes still lightly shaken from his awkward encounter with Tieria. Wrathion nodded at the paladin, and with a motion of his head he signaled his companions to be at ease and proceed as they saw fit.<br/>"In the evening." Repeated Wrathion as a form of conclusion and farewell. Then the Black Prince ordered Agent Cullen to follow him; the dragon proceeded to walk towards his own chamber, which laid at the end of the vast hall.</p><p>The rest of the group parted ways: Caradin and Felassan retired to the room they shared, while Lorga offered Haliki to search for a chamber in which the troll could privately rest in.</p><hr/><p>The fire cracked loudly in Wrathion's chamber; the large fireplace was sufficient to provide heat in the dragon's room, but the blaze within it in did not light greatly enough.</p><p>Wrathion was seated down at the table large, dressed in a fine grey silk tunic and black breeches; the tips of his wavy locks damp, as he just has emerged from the modest bath he retained in his private quarters. Agent Cullen was lighting the remaining candles and lamps, bringing the Black Prince's room to a more livable state, after it sitting in utter darkness for many days.</p><p>In the time that the black dragon was writing his letter to Calthaire, Cullen was informing his Master what else has occurred in the Ebon Rest during his absence. The agent mainly spoke of how the Blacktalon have brought more chambers within the sanctuary in order, and has refrained himself from divulging how he and his comrades spent leisure time by drinking.<br/>The Black Prince has also kept his agent up to date with the most recent events: how he and his champions have gotten separated from the Blacktalon due to N'Zoth's cultists interfering <em>(but has omitted the fact that he got captured by them)</em>, and how during the battle, Caradin's translocator was broken by the same enemy - making the dragon and the rest teleport upon the shores of Zandalar.</p><p>"What else has occurred since my departure?" Questioned Wrathion while his eyes were fixated upon the roll of parchment he scribbled upon.<br/>"Nothing else comes to mind, my Lord." Replied Cullen while scratching his cheek, swiftly he released a soft gasp as he remembered a detail he missed: "We have fixed the common bathing room, sir."<br/>"The common bathing room?" He repeated while briefly lifting his gaze to look at his agent nodding at him.</p><p>"Yes." Cullen stated. "With the help of the fire and water elementals, we succeeded in restoring it in a relaxing room, ever running with hot water." The agent shrugged timidly, as he gave a half-smile. "It is quite a fine place to unwind, if anyone desires to do so."<br/>Wrathion blinked at his Blacktalon, then his lips also curled in a smile.<br/>"Indeed." Breathed the Black Prince in a praising tone. "I am certain many of our champions would desire to relax there. Well done."<br/>Cullen nodded in a salute, then remained silent, allowing the dragon to resume to his writing.</p><p>Quietly the Blacktalon agent watched as Wrathion scribbled upon the parchment in a fine penmanship; he began wondering how and when did the dragon learn to write. Was he taught? Was it a skill he possessed since he was a whelp? While those questions lingered in his mind, Cullen began drawing to the conclusion that he hardly knew anything of the master he served.<br/>All the knowledge he had was that Wrathion was the last of his kind; the last, uncorrupted black dragon; who took the Titan's decree to protect Azeroth in his own hands. He knew the Black Prince possessed a large amount of treasures and valuables, which frankly, was the reason why Cullen became his agent in the first place - but the Lordaeron human had no vague idea from where did the dragon acquire all this wealth - and he never dared to ask.</p><p>His trail of thoughts were interrupted by an envelope suddenly appearing in front of his face. He blinked surprised, taking a second to realize that it was his master holding up the envelope.<br/>"Take it to Calthaire's raven." Ordered the Black Prince. "Then summon everyone to the meeting."<br/>Cullen retrieved the envelope from the dragon's hands, while nodding silently.<br/>"Anything else, my Lord?" Asked the agent. Wrathion tore his gaze away from the Blacktalon, his crimson eyes gazed emptily at the door as he said:<br/>"Have more men stationed throughout the room during this meeting."</p><p>Cullen inhaled deeply; he blinked rapidly, soaking in what his master had just told him. At first he opened his mouth to speak, but then hesitated. He took another moment, debating within himself whenever he should pose the questions or not.<br/>"You… You expect there to be… <em>Physical conflict</em> between us and the Silver Hand paladins?" Surmised the agent timidly in the end, his mouth set in a hard line. His brown eyes lingered upon the Black Prince as the dragon began stroking his goatee, his eyes remaining fixated on the door.</p><p>Wrathion stood silent for a minute, then he spoke whilst his dark brows slightly frowning:<br/>"I can't be certain." Confessed the dragon in a grim tone. "With Tieria's presence tensing the rest paladins, and with their desire to take over this sanctuary - I simply want to be safe. Perhaps even intimidate them lightly." The Black Prince rose from his seat, and began walking towards the fireplace. He swiftly glanced at Cullen, a smirk appeared on his lips upon witnessing the agent's startled expression. "Rest assured - we will not spill templar blood."<br/>Cullen nodded, and yet his face remained drained away from its color. There was something about the dragon's smile that would always make the Blacktalon human shiver. It was both alluring and yet… <em>Wicked</em>.</p><p>He clenched the envelope tightly in his hand and gave a bow to the Black Prince; then he immediately exited the chamber to carry on with his orders. Leaving the dragon alone with his thoughts, as he glanced into the burning fire.</p><hr/><p>The atmosphere in the Black Prince's chamber grew dense as everyone gathered for the meeting.</p><p>Tieria was the first to arrive. Her brown hair was kept in the usual high ponytail hairdo. She was stripped away from her matte gold armor and kilt. Instead, she wore velvet leather breeches, a dark beige tunic which had buttons starting from the center of her chest, and ending in-between her clavicles. A short cloak, cut back at the sides to elbow length, rested around her shoulders. The hazelnut-colored cloak was clasped with an ornamental pin, made out of silver, twisted in the shape of a feather; decorative amethyst beautiful arranged around its body. Her right index finger wore a thin silver ring. It seemed that despite the perilous journey she set upon once she allied with Wrathion, Tieria did not avoid packing some of her precious trinkets.</p><p>The templar took notice of the unusual amount of Blacktalon agents present throughout Wrathion's chamber, but made no remark. In fact, she did not breathe a single word; silently she took a seat to Wrathion's left side, her fingers constantly playing with a silver ring she wore.<br/>Soon enough, Farseer Lorga entered the chamber, followed by Haliki, and then Caradin and Felassan.</p><p>Much like Tieria, the rest of the Black Prince's champions were wearing a more casual attire, consisting of light leather breeches and tunics <em>(or kilts, in Lorga's case)</em>.<br/>The Farseer still walked haltingly, as her leg was still recovering from the injury the cultist had inflicted. Her lips twitched slightly upon every step she took with her left foot; she walked to take a seat to Wrathion's right side. Haliki sat next to the shaman while Felassan and Caradin took a seat across from the troll, next to Tieria.</p><p>Silence continued to dwell; only the echo of logs of wood breaking within the fire lingered. The sound of the large oaken doors opening drew everyone's attention towards them, causing the unease atmosphere to intensify.<br/>Agent Cullen entered, guiding the five members of the Knights of the Silver Hand order inside the room.<br/>With the corner of his eye, Wrathion caught the sight of Tieria slowly sinking in the chair, as Maxwell and his fellow paladins took a seat at the end of the long table. Her brown eyes remained fixated down in her lap, constantly watching the ring she dangled in her fingers.</p><p>Maxwell Tyrosus was seated by the end of the table, right across from the Black Prince; with Julia Celeste and the human recruit sitting on each of his sides. The female sin'dorei was next to Justicar Julia, and the male draenei, close to the new human recruit.<br/>Wrathion watched Maxwell's eyes analyzing the room; his jaw clenched upon surveying the Blacktalon agents standing guard nearly on every side of the chamber - should this meeting lean into a damaging direction - the Silver Hand paladins would be outnumbered.</p><p>"Now, let us avoid fruitless introductions, and discuss the reason for this meeting." Began Wrathion the moment everyone was seated down; he loathed the overlong and burdensome silence. His eyes analyzed everyone around him, then he pulled a smirk on his lips while addressing Maxwell: "I have been informed that you seek your hidden sanctuaries. I cannot help but to pose the questions '<em>why</em>?' Why now?"<br/>"The high paladins have elected it is time to reclaim what is ours - the Sanctuaries of the Light. There are multiple garrisons which were built by the paladins of old throughout the human lands; their initial purpose was to hide away, and prepare themselves against the Lich King and his minions."<br/>"These are different times, Lord paladin." Chuckled Wrathion, his expression dulled. "The Lich King is no longer invading Azeroth - your kind have no use of this place anymore, but<em> I</em> do."</p><p>"<em>Our kind</em> now wants to give these garrisons a new purpose." Recited Maxwell somewhat antagonistic; he did not enjoy Wrathion's ignorant statement that the paladins had no longer use of this sanctuary. "It is to expand our order, gather new recruits and ensure that there are paladins ready to leap to defense in every corner of Azeroth."<br/>"It is a noble intention." Affirmed the Black Prince. His elbows were on the surface of the desk, he intertwined the fingers of both of his hands, building a bridge which he used to rest his chin upon. "Which I would gladly allow you to carry on with - as soon as my purpose is finished." Declared the dragon.</p><p>"Yes, so I have been told." Replied Maxwell in a sigh. "Your… <em>Soldiers</em>, have informed us of the mission. Yet, I failed to understand why it is necessary to hide underground, when last I've heard those who attempt to save Azeroth are gathered in Silithus."<br/>"Our foe is known to have eyes everywhere. <em>"The Deep One with all seeing eyes."</em> they call him." Replied Wrathion, feeling unthreatened by Maxwell's glare. "Why did the paladins hid underneath the Sanctum of Light,<em> in the Eastern Kingdoms</em>, when the assaults against the Burning Legion took place upon the Broken Isles?"</p><p>Maxwell bit his tongue. He has not anticipated this outcome. The Silver Hand champion inhaled sharply, he rearranged his eyepatch and resumed the conversation:</p><p>"And how certain are you that it is actually N'Zoth, the Corruptor, that is about to emerge from the depths?"<br/>"You are asking the son of<em> Neltharion</em> how certain he is that an Old God is surfacing on Azeroth?" Spat Wrathion, his eyes narrowed at the paladin. "I assure you - I'm quite certain. I would have not been here otherwise." He leaned back in his chair, unmoving his gaze from Maxwell. "My agents have informed you of who I am and my intentions, and in return they have informed me that you are in fact, <em>keen</em> in joining my cause."<br/>"Our order serves in defense of Azeroth." Preached Justicar Julia, the dark blonde woman stood with a grim expression. "We have not come here to serve or join the cause of any dragon - we are here to reclaim what is ours." Maxwell lifted a palm in front of Julia, pleading her to halt from speaking. The female paladin immediately sealed her lips, despite her expression illustrating that she was displeased by her comrade silencing her.</p><p>"What Justicar Julia intended on saying," Intervened Maxwell in a more collected tone than his templar comrade. "Is that we have heard of Speaker Magni battling against some zealots who worship the Old Gods - but we were not aware that N'Zoth Himself is rising from the depths. If that is true, then we wish to fight against this threat." Maxwell scratched his beard as he paused. He looked at the Black Prince, whose expression was unreadable. "However, we wish to fight on our terms: our soldiers, our arsenal, <em>our sanctuary</em> - I shall repeat the words of Justicar - we will not serve any Black Prince. We only serve a Highlord."<br/>"Oh?" Snarled the dragon. "A paladin has taken up the position after Tirion Fordring?"</p><p>Maxwell's face went pale, the sudden alarm in his eyes was enough to understand without the paladin giving an answer. He remained silent, which prompted Wrathion to continue:<br/>"I am not forcing you into my servitude, Lord Tyrosus." Digressed the Black Prince in a warm tone. "However, we need to be organized, if we want to succeed in defeating the Corruptor - and in order to be organized we need one person, preferably someone who has knowledge regarding the Old Gods, to lead."<br/>"And you claim that you should be this leader?" Queried Justicar Julia unfriendly.<br/>"An esteemed, veteran shaman, who is also the co-founder of the Horde, as well as the Sergeant of an Argent Crusade branch, think I am a far more suitable leader than them in this particular situation."</p><p>Wrathion pointed at the said people as he spoke. He noticed Maxwell's, as well as Julia's expressions remaining unconvinced; then the dragon swiftly glanced at Tieria, who rarely lifted her gaze up, her pale becoming more pale with each minute passing.<br/>"You and your paladins will be treated as equals." Reassured Wrathion. "You will have access to our arsenal; and my agents - as well as these champions - as allies." Then the dragon let another smirk. "And you have my word, that you shall have this sanctuary returned to you once we defeat the Corruptor. It is a great garrison - but it is far too stone-filled and dark for my taste." He concluded in a light chuckle.</p><p>Maxwell leaned back in his chair, he glanced at his paladin comrades, who had indecisive expressions on their faces. Julia in particular had her dark blonde brows snapped together in a displeased frown - the Justicar was distinctly not warming to the thought of continuing to allow these strangers to have control over the holy sanctuary.<br/>The Blood Knight Cyssa, who has barely said any words since the dawn of the paladins' journey, blinked at Maxwell, her golden eyes, despite its warming shade, had a cold sight; it seemed much like Justicar, the sin'dorei was reluctant to join the dragon's campaign.</p><p>Vindicator Aesom seemed more keen into uniting with the Black Prince and his champions; the moment he locked his eyes into Maxwell's, the draenei gave a decisive nod.<br/>It was only the new recruit - named Niall - a mere apprentice who had barely learnt to wield the Light and still had monumental information to learn regarding paladin history, who was unable to give his opinion of this matter. He shrugged, perplexed at the situation, leaving his complete trust in Maxwell Tyrosus.</p><p>"Very well." Declared Lord Tyrosus, slamming his palm against the surface of the table as a sign of sealing this conversation. "We shall join - as equals - as long as you promise we shall receive our sanctuary once it is over."<br/>The Black Prince grinned at the paladin and relaxed in his chair.<br/>"You have my word, Lord Tyrosus." Promised the dragon.</p><p>"Maxwell!" Whispered Julia agitated, she leaned in closer to her comrades and Maxwell pursued to do the same. He spoke in a hushed tone to the Justicar:<br/>"We have come this far, waited so long for him to appear - I do not think it will be wise in our position to force them to leave, Julia." Argued the Silver Hand knight. "It is not in our nature to turn our backs and ignore this threat."<br/>"And are we simply going to ignore <em>her</em>?" Addressed Julia Celeste to Maxwell. Albeit the Justicar intended for her words to be heard for Maxwell's ears only - she spoke loud enough for everyone to hear her.</p><p>Tieria's lips twitched in annoyance, then the templar released a long, exhausting sigh. She pulled herself closer to the table to listen to Julia's criticism:<br/>"Out of all paladins who walk this realm it had to be <em>you,</em> who located this place? The one who opposed her own order? This <em>cannot</em> be a coincidence."<br/>"What do you think I am intending on doing, Justicar Celeste?" Spat Tieria bitterly. "Birth my own Sanctum of the Light and title myself a Highlord? Build an army to invade Light's Hope Chapel as revenge?" Tieria snarled unamused, shaking her head in disbelief. "Coincidences <em>can</em> happen. It occurred right now."</p><p>"Few knew of these sanctuaries." Debated the Justicar. "Not even all of the high paladins knew more hidden garrisons existed. How did you know of it?"<br/>"History." Replied Tieria simply. "I lived in Lordaeron during the Scourge invasions, and I remember the Knights of the Silver Hand sailing to Kalimdor with refugees. I theorized that another one must be close to Theramore, because this is where the Lordaeron refugees arrived" She took a moment to pause, chuckling as she realized that her next words could be easily taken with a grain of salt: "And the Light guided by to the correct path."</p><p>Tieria watched as Julia pressed her lips thinly against each other, her face remaining twisted while looking at Tieria. The templar paused briefly, then continued, this time in a collected tone:<br/>"You may have exiled me from the Sanctum of Light… But I am still a paladin. A bastion of divine Light; and you <em>cannot</em> exile me from all the sacred places from Azeroth." Declared Tieria in a mix of melancholy and confidence while staring intensely at Julia. The Justicar remained silent, her anger lingering.</p><p>"Tieria's presence has certainly… Surprised us." Declared Maxwell, breaking away the silence. "But we will not let it furnish difficulties during this campaign."<br/>"Good." Nodded Wrathion, his forehead furrowed at the sight of Justicar's glare. "Tieria is a valuable member to our team - and you shall treat her as such."</p><p>The Black Prince kept his gaze directed on Maxwell, but he caught the eye of Tieria's brown eyes rounding at him, the color returned to her face as she felt flustered upon hearing his words. The corner of the dragon's mouth lifted lightly, it was clear the smile was intended for Tieria, despite his eyes focused on the Silver Hand knight, who simply nodded at Wrathion's request.<br/>"Then we can conclude this meeting." Commanded the Black Prince. "Tomorrow is a new day, and we shall have another gathering to discuss our next steps." He eyed every member on the desk, analyzing if anyone desired to voice anything else; however, it seemed nothing else needed to be said. In the moment the dragon concluded his sentence, everyone relaxed in their seats.</p><p>Tieria was the first to leave, she swiftly pushed away from the table and rose. Her and Wrathion's eyes briefly met, which made her to form a faint smile on her lips, before leaving the room in a hasting pace.<br/>Tieria exiting the chamber prompted everyone else to rise from the table. Maxwell ordered his comrades to retreat to their private quarters, which the Blacktalon agents have offered to them; the Black Prince's champions were planning on continuing to recover from their journey as they desired.<br/>Only Wrathion remained in his chair, he dismissed the agents which stood guard during the meeting, and watched as everyone exited his quarters.</p><p>"Caradin, Felassan." The Black Prince spoke loudly enough to be heard over the echo of multiple footsteps. He waited until the said figures turned to look at him, before making himself more comfortable in his chair. Wrathion leaned back and crossed his legs, as his eyes roamed the dwarf and the demon hunter: "Remain here. I have a task for the two of you."</p><hr/><p>Tieria watched the smoke she blew out fading away into the sky of the night. The templar stood quietly, drinking into the silence of the night while trying to erase the negative state she felt by smoking it away.</p><p>The meeting was overwhelming for her, especially once Justicar Julia spoke so antagonistically towards her; but the templar had to admit - the gathering had occurred far more smoothly than she anticipated.<br/>However, the templar still felt conflicted with the fact that Silver Hand knights were now their allies. She understood the strength and wisdom they could bring during the battle against the Old God, but she still had a difficult time to accept the unjust actions her order had done to her, by exiling the templar from the Sanctum of Light. The feelings of betrayal were surfacing.</p><p>As she was about to once more bring the pipe to her mouth, Tieria stopped upon hearing footsteps approaching the damaged roof of the tower. Through the faint light of her lantern, which rested on the stone floor, Tieria recognized Maxwell's broad silhouette.<br/>She let out a sigh upon the sight of the Silver Hand paladin; she attempted her best to avoid thinking anything related to the order, and yet the very esteemed champion of the Silver Hand stood next to her.</p><p>"What do you want, Maxwell?" Fumed Tieria with a tone of coldness and aggressively whilst bringing the pipe to her lips. She returned to gaze at the night sky, ignoring Maxwell's lingering stare.<br/>"Is that how you address the only person who stood by your side?" Replied the paladin in the same cold tone as her.<br/>A sigh came out of Tieria as she exhaled smoke, feeling the bitter taste of crushed herbs settling on the surface of her tongue. Maxwell's gaze lingered upon her, causing Tieria to soften her glare. Gently she lowered her head, as if she gave in.</p><p>Maxwell made a fair point. He was one of the few from the order who voted against her exile - albeit he was just as upset as the rest of the paladins by the actions Tieria has committed - he felt that exiling a fellow templar was crossing a line.</p><p>After the Legion's defeat, Maxwell sent a missive to Tieria in Hearthglen, in which he wrote down the achievements of the order during the Burning Legion's assault. Receiving such a letter warmed Tieria's heart, making her realize she still had friends, or to be more precise, <em>a </em>friend, in the Silver Hand order.<br/>In return she wrote to Maxwell how she succeeded in battling the Legion on her own, and her intentions of traveling Azeroth now that there was peace. Since then, the two paladins have exchanged letters to each other every season, maintaining a somewhat friendship.</p><p>However in neither of their correspondence have Maxwell spoken the order plans to reclaim the hidden sanctuaries, and Tieria never wrote of her search for the Dragon Isle. Hence, both paladins were surprised to have stumbled upon each other in this very moment.</p><p>"You are right." Tieria said softly. "I apologize. Out of all people, I should not be upset with you."<br/>Maxwell gave her a nod, accepting her apology; then he took a step closer to his once-comrade, resting against the damaged tower wall with his elbow. The two paladins stood quietly, resting into each other's silent company while gazing at the cloudy skies; hoping to find at least one star shining among the grey mask.</p><p>"This… Black Prince is a peculiar figure." Broke the stillness Maxwell. Tieria attentively listened to him, albeit her gaze was still focused on the sky as she continued to smoke. "I have never expected to hear a dragon, a black dragon, building an operation to fight an Old God."<br/>"The Dragon Aspects were tasked by the Titans themselves to defend Azeroth from the days of old." Recited Tieria. "Wrathion continues to uphold the Aspects legacy."<br/>"It is a noble purpose." Nodded Maxwell. "I hope it is not a simple shroud, hiding his true intentions."</p><p>Tieria's brows snapped together at Maxwell's last sentence. She blew out another cloud of smoke while turning to the paladin, looking at him with a cold glare.<br/>"If you do not trust him, why are you willing to ally with us?" She interrogated, her enraged tone returning once more. "Yet again, the templars of the Silver Hand show mistrust to those who do not serve the Light. This is precisely how those within the Sanctum of Light behaved towards Felassan." Declared Tieria while gritting her teeth. Maxwell pressed his lips thinly against one another, his face went blank upon Tieria's statement.</p><p>Her gaze lingered at him; and as Maxwell remained silent, contemplating an answer, she realized she had burnt out completely the herbs out of her pipe. Maxwell scratched his beard, unable to give her a reply, hence the paladin resorted to switch the topic of their conversation:<br/>"I understand it might be difficult for you to be in the presence of Julia and the others - but I will attempt my hardest to ensure they will not treat you as a sinner."<br/>"I appreciate it." Said Tieria softly, while looking down as she emptied her pipe from ashes and tiny pieces of smoked out herbs. "But do not take it personally if I avoid you for the upcoming days." She gave a comforting smile while lifting her gaze at him, her brown eyes still shining in discomfort. "I do not desire to be around Silver Hand knights just yet."</p><p>Maxwell gave her a compassion smile and a small nod. With that, Tieria murmured she will retreat inside the Ebon Rest. As soon as she began walking down the broken stairs of the tower, she heard Maxwell addressing her once more:<br/>"After this is over, I could reach out to those from the Sanctum of Light, send word of your work you have done here." Maxwell noticed a flinch in Tieria's lip upon the mention of the holy sanctuary. "Perhaps they might reconsider withdrawing your exile."<br/>"I don't want to return to the Sanctum of Light." She declared instatintly. Maxwell took a second to comprehend what Tieria has just said, before speaking:<br/>"So then what?" Interrogated the Silver Hand knight. "What will you pursue after this? You belong to no other order; no faction. What path will you follow once The Corruptor meets His demise?"</p><p>Tieria pursued walking down the stairs until she reached the block of stone which was the entrance of the sanctuary. Her brown eyes lingered on the sculpted stone fist of the Silver Hand, the emblem of the order she once served and perhaps, deep down within the Light of her soul - she still served it. But then she lifted her gaze at Maxwell who still rested by the broken roof, and professed a thought with certainty in her voice:</p><p>"Now I serve the Black Prince." She stated confidently. "I don't care about the future at this moment. All I want is to see Wrathion putting an end to the Corruptor."</p><hr/><p>After Tieria and Maxwell returned inside the sanctum, they swiftly parted ways while only breathing words of <em>"rest well"</em> to each other.</p><p>As she walked in the main hall, the templar thought of how now she desired nothing else but a sweet glass of wine and good company - and she knew where she could find it. In her mind, Tieria planned on swiftly going into her chamber to retrieve a night tunic, then visit the particular<em> 'good company'</em> she thought of.</p><p>On the way to her quarters, the paladin stumbled upon Caradin and Felassan walking in her opposite direction; both were once again dressed in heavy armor, their weapons were sheathed on their backs and they carried filled satchels. She blinked surprised at her view as the three of them intersected.</p><p>"What's going on?" Inquired Tieria while looking at Caradin. The dwarf however, paid no attention to her; he continued to walk towards his direction, without even glancing at her. Felassan has halted his movement, much like Tieria, the demon hunter was looking at the dwarf.</p><p>"Caradin!" Called out Tieria which prompted the dwarf warrior to stop walking. He turned to the templar, his blue eyes had a cold shine and the lines of his face were hardened. Tieria waved his arms at him in a sign of disorientation, while walking a couple of steps closer to the sergeant.</p><p>"What's the matter?" She asked in a soft tone. "Where are you going so heavily geared?"<br/>"We got a mission." Replied Caradin without giving any other details. Tieria glanced at Felassan who remained silent, it seemed the demon hunter desired to be left out of this conversation.<br/>"What mission?" She inquired in a sigh, feeling slightly irritated that she had to 'drag out' information from her friend.<br/>"Ask the lizard." Asserted the dwarf while adjusting the satchel which was sliding off his right shoulder. "He's the one who gave it." With that, Caradin resumed to walk; he only succeeded in taking a couple of steps before Tieria once again calling out to him. This time she sounded more pleading.<br/>"Caradin, why are you acting so... <em>Cold</em>?"</p><p>Caradin let out a heavy sigh and paced with heavy steps closer to Tieria. He looked up at the paladin, his gaze softening as their eyes met.<br/>"Tell me how ta behave when yer closest friend hid their biggest secret away from ye?" Lamented Caradin. "Not just a friend… Someone ye almost raised; fought side by side, shared so many events of each other's lives together…" The dwarf shrugged in defeat. Tieria sighed, realizing she was the reason behind his unusual behaviour.<br/>"You have to understand-" Began the paladin, only to be swiftly interrupted by Caradin.<br/>"I understand, lass." Stated the dwarf. "I understand why ye did it; I don't agree with the paladins exiling ye." He licked his lips as he paused. "But ye hid it for <em>me</em>? What did you think I would do? Exile you out of the Argent Crusade too? If-If ye father would have been alive, would ye hide it from 'im too?"</p><p>His last question struck into Tieria's heart. She felt as if she was soaking into reality - realizing how selfish she behaved by concealing the truth from someone who was almost like her family. After her exile, Tieria was furious, and the only way the templar knew to surpass this emotion was by burying it deep within her - hoping that it would never reveal itself.<br/>But as she looked at Caradin, his blue eyes filled with betrayal, she realized that if she would perhaps divulge the situation to him; her <em>closest </em>friend would aid her in walking through this pain.</p><p>Noticing the turbulence upon the paladin, Caradin sighed heavily. He did not have the heart to remain resentful at any soul, especially Tieria. The dwarf reached out to caress her arms as he said:<br/>"Think about these questions, lass." He pleaded softly; at last a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Then the two of us can talk once I'm back."<br/>Tieria's eyes twinkled with sorrow, but she forced a smile and nodded at Caradin. Then the dwarf retrieved his hands, and pursued to leave for his mission. Tieria silently watched Caradin walked away, heading towards the stairs which led to the surface.</p><p>"Wrathion is sending us to Uldum." Came Felassan's voice from her side. Tieria turned to glance at the demon hunter, her forehead creased at his sentence.<br/>"What for?" Inquired the paladin.<br/>"To view how much the cultists have spread their attack." Explained the Illidari, he began walking to catch up with Caradin, which prompted Tieria to follow him. "Apparently he lost contact with some of his agents from that place. He fears N'Zoth's forces have brought reinforcements and are pushing strongly to breach the Forge of Originations."<br/>"Why only the two of you?" Tieria continued to pose questions to which Felassan shook his head as an answer:<br/>"We travel with the treasure hunters and a small group of his Blacktalons." Said the demon hunter, he halted from walking as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Caradin remained silently, his disapproving look remaining on his hardened face.</p><p>Tieria nodded once Felassan concluded his sentence; the news of cultist activity growing could only mean the veil between Ny'alotha and Azeroth was thinning, and it was only a matter of time until N'Zoth appeared in their reality.<br/>"Be safe." Pleaded Tieria as she reached out to pull the demon hunter for a short embrace. She glanced down at Caradin, desiring to wish him a warm farewell as well; but she saw the dismayed shine in his blue eyes; thus, she refrained himself from hugging him. The dwarf was still upset at her, and the templar agreed that it was just. Tieria simply gave her friend a warm smile, which was returned by a nod.</p><p>Silently the demon hunter and the Argent Crusade sergeant parted ways with the templar. Tieria stood by the stairs until both of them exited the sanctuary, and as she prayed for their successful and safe journey, she resumed to walk to her quarters to carry on with her plan.</p><hr/><p>Wrathion watched from across the room as Tieria sipped her drink quietly, while sinking in the armchair by the fireplace; she lifted her bare feet as close as possible in front of the burning fire, letting its embers warm her skin. She held the glass in her left hand, twisting her brown locks around her right finger without realizing it; the templar was lost in her own thoughts.</p><p>After her discussion with Caradin, and Felassan briefly informing her of their task, Tieria snatched her night tunic from her chamber and walked in the dragon's private quarters.<br/>Upon arriving in Wrathion's room, the dragon was still busy with assigning new orders to his agents and writing a missive to Magni Bronzebeard. The Black Prince motioned to Tieria to make herself comfortable in his room as she pleases until he is finished. Which the templar did; she brought a palette of assorted cheese for herself, changed in her sleeping attire, and poured a glass of Dalaran red wine while taking a seat in the large armchair by the fireplace. Relieving her hair from its restraint and letting the toes of her feet stretch freely.</p><p>Despite the comfortable atmosphere, knowing that for a brief moment they are safe from the danger of the Old God, and having one evening to relax, the paladin still appeared startled.</p><p>She remained blinking into the fire despite Wrathion's footsteps echoing as he approached her. The dragon stood behind her; he stretched out his hand and began to gently stroke her right cheek with the back of his fingers.<br/>"You are unusually quiet, dear templar." Whispered the Black Prince while glancing down at the thoughtful paladin.<br/>"It has been an overwhelming day." Breathed Tieria in a sigh, albeit there was a small smile on her lips upon the sensation of Wrathion's touch. The dragon pulled away to drag a chair in front of Tieria and take a seat. He rested comfortably in the chair, although not as comfortable as Tieria who pulled her legs close to her chest, sinking her entire body in the armchair.</p><p>"Seeing Maxwell and Julia have shaken me more than I have anticipated." Confessed Tieria, she plucked a couple of hair strands behind her ear while continuing: "And earlier I had an… Unpleasant conversation with Caradin, regarding my choice of refraining to profess to him of what occurred in the Sanctum of the Light." After concluding her sentence, Tieria tore her gaze away from the dragon to glance at the wine glass in her hand.<br/>"Was it as unpleasant as the conversation <em>we</em> had after you learnt the actions I've committed in the past?" Purred the Black Prince to which Tieria shook her head.<br/>"No. But it brings almost the same emotions I have felt when the two of us had that conversation." She stated, then she drowned the last sip wine.</p><p>Tieria rose to walk toward the small closet which rested against the wall; atop of it laid the bottle of wine and the palette of cheese. She cut a slice and immediately tossed it in her mouth, whilst chewing she refilled her glass with the red colored liquid. On the way back she took another slice of cheese, and as soon as she walked to sit back in the armchair, she immediately stopped, witnessing Wrathion had taken her place.</p><p>The dragon smiled teasingly upon taking over the more comfortable seat. It prompted Tieria to release a light giggle; despite all things which occurred today, Wrathion seemed in a quite good mood.<br/>"I have to admit…" Began Tieria whilst still standing on feet in front of her dragon. "I anticipated more… <em>Hostility</em> coming from your part after you learnt my secret." The dragon released a chuckle at her statement, he rested his cheek down his fist.<br/>"Your truth was unexpected; however much like our demon hunter fellow, I agree that what the paladins have done to you was injustice." He expressed, smirking at the irony that paladins who claim to be beacons of justice - were the ones acting unjust. "Hunting down a dreadlord who threatens your order seemed far more important than avenging a dead Highlord. While I understand the paladins having doubts, given the fact that this information came from an Illidari - however, the missing templars felt as enough proof of the Felassan's information."</p><p>"I wished the other paladins thought as you did." Sighed Tieria, before taking a sip of her drink she expressed melancholic: "A lot of things would have not happened."<br/>"I do enjoy the guilty look you have on your face ever since you have told the truth, dear <em>hypocritical</em> templar." Smirked Wrathion, recalling their heated argument in the zeppelin, which already seemed eternity ago.<br/>"I've already apologized for that one." Snarled the paladin and then took another sip of her drink.</p><p>After his chuckle has sated, the dragon posed a question which lingered in his mind:<br/>"What did you do after your exile?" Inquired Wrathion. "How did you fight the Burning Legion on your own?"<br/>"I reunited with Felassan, while using Dalaran City as my temporary shelter." She said, her cheeks gradually becoming red from the alcoholic drink taking its effect. "I aided the Illidari in their assault against Legion encampments which were spread throughout the Broken Isles."<br/>"A single paladin amongst the Illidari." Analyzed the Black Prince, his lips remaining plastered in a smile "Must have been a peculiar scene."</p><p>"There was also a warlock;" Added Tieria, her brows snapping together as she was attempting to remember his name. "He was a Forsaken, and knew a great deal about demons." The paladin shook her head in defeat, realizing she failed to recollect the name of the Forsaken, and resumed to speak: "In a matter of time, Archmage Khadgar united everyone under one banner and formed the 'Armies of Legionfall' which was preparing to launch the final push at the Tomb of Sargeras. I joined, whilst staring clear of the Knights of the Silver Hand."</p><p>She paused to take another sip. Wrathion patiently waited for her to take her time to enjoy her beverage before she concluded her small tale:<br/>"It seemed either the Silver Hand paladins have omitted to report my actions to the Argent Crusade superiors, or something has occurred with the messengers - for when I returned to Hearthglen, nobody has not mentioned anything of the Sanctum of Light and I was greeted home as a hero among the rest of my Argent Crusade comrades."<br/>"And then you began your search for the Dragon Isle." Assumed the Black Prince while beginning to stroke his ebony goatee.<br/>"To be more precise: I <em>resumed</em> my dragon studies and learnt of the rumors of the Dragon Isle." Corrected Tieria in a small smile.</p><p>Wrathion sank in the chair, his attention on their conversation suddenly vanished, due to Tieria standing before him in a nonchalant appearance. The smile on his lips deepened and his eyes ran up and down, admiring his templar. Her unkempt hair, her cheeks flushing red from the enjoyment of alcohol; the long night-tunic sitting loosely on her body was teasing his gaze, as she did not stand fully nude before him, and yet having the cloth reaching right at the end of her buttocks and expose one of her shoulders, drove him a state of lust.</p><p>He found himself reaching out to grab her waist, gently guiding her to take some steps closer to him. Tieria daringly sat in her lap, which the dragon did not mind. With one hand he began stroking her thigh as he sank deeper in his seat. After the long journey on the ship, and spending the remaining of the evening reassigning new orders, Wrathion desired to unwind for the little time he could afford before going to slumber - putting away for the night, the overwhelming thoughts of planning the upcoming assault upon Ny'alotha.<br/>The dragon watched as Tieria rested her free arm around his neck, and her index finger began gently tugging locks of his curly hair around it. She looked more relaxed compared to earlier in the day, albeit her brown eyes still shined with turmoil.</p><p>A thought crossed Wrathion's mind; a thought which would wipe away that unrest in the templar's eyes and allow him to be brought in a state of relaxation he desired so desperately.<br/>"Apparently, my agents have mended the common bathing room - turning it into a hot spring like chamber." Divulged Wrathion while taking Tieria's chin in his fingers. "Care to try it out?"<br/>A small smile appeared on the paladin's lips, but her features twisted in confusion.</p><p>"How did you agents achieve that?" Queried the templar in a giggle, to which Wrathion shrugged.<br/>"I am curious to find that out myself." Purred the dragon as he pulled a smirk. "And I would enjoy some company." He whispered alluringly, which intensified the redness on Tieria's cheeks and flourished her smile. The templar did not take too long to give an answer:<br/>"Lead the way."</p><hr/><p>The bathing room was located in the depths of the hallway which was located in-between Wrathion's chamber and the yet-unused forge. The long hall was lit with braziers, but no soul was present, allowing Wrathion and Tieria to slip unnoticed through the large doors which rested at the very end. It was easy to pinpoint the location of the particular chamber due to the warm, moist air in the hall.</p><p>As soon as Wrathion opened the doors, they were greeted by hot air, and steam blurring their vision. Instead of stone floors and brick walls like most the rooms in the sanctuary, this chamber was covered in bronze tiles.<br/>The bath chamber was filled with numerous pools of various sizes, all of them were filled with hot water. Braziers were attached on each side of the walls, but there were also candles arranged on the ground next to the copper-tiled pools; the wax gave a peculiar scent in the steamy air. Lorga's fire and water elementals were slowly levitating within the chamber, as if they were wardens on this spacious tranquil area.</p><p>"This chamber might have been here long before." Theorized Tieria while caressing the tiled wall with the tips of her fingers. "The previous templars probably used it as a bathing room; your agents must have polished the pools and repaired the broken tiles."<br/>"And they have done a fine job." Breathed Wrathion exhilaratingly; he took a couple of steps further to the pool in the middle of the chamber, the crystal clear water was gently ripping within it, almost calling for him to dive inside. He heard Tieria exhaling in agreement. The dragon immediately reached out to the laces of his tunic and began untangling them to get rid of his attire.</p><p>Tieria approached Wrathion, her disheveled hair was already lightly curled from the constant steam; unlike him she did not have to concern herself with laces or buttons; she immediately lifted her long tunic her head and let it fall on the ground, then she simply pulled down her undergarments, standing bare-skinned by the edge of the pool.</p><p>She did not wait for him; as the dragon was yanking off hit boots after he removed his tunic, the templar swiftly entered the pool; gasping in thrill at the sensation of hot water caressing her entire body. First two seconds in the water were slightly painful. But soon enough her body adjusted itself to the temperature, and in mere moments she began to slowly float towards the center of the pool, while watching with a large grin on her face, as Wrathion stripped himself off his remaining attire. The Black Prince smiled boastfully at Tieria when he noticed her eyes lingering at his nude figure.</p><p>As the Black Prince began descending into the hot pool, he glanced over Tieria whose face was already serene after mere moments of drowsing in the relaxing water. He swam for her, determinedly to pull her hungrily into his arms; groaning lustingly at the press of her soaked breasts against his chest. The templar giggled at his touch, biting her lower lip as she felt his hard arousal against her stomach. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him take the charge while they gently floated around in the water.<br/>Wrathion captured her lips in an ardent kiss, he immediately slipped his tongue inside her mouth; the taste of her and her soft moaning only increased the dragon's blood surge. She enthusiastically responded by tightening her grip around him.</p><p>Tieria suddenly pulled away; the enveloping steam and the dragon's hungry kiss made the templar suffocate. As she paused from their amorous affair to catch some breath, Tieria smiled at Wrathion. Her brown eyes shined brighter than the stars of Suramar while gazing at the handsome half-elf.<br/>She was still unable to comprehend that this isn't a mere illusion. She truly stood in that very moment, bathing in nude with a black dragon who, for some non-comprehensive reason, took a liking in her.</p><p>"Why so thoughtful, dear templar? Murmured Wrathion in a whisper, wondering what was on her mind as her gaze lingered so long at him. He lifted one arm out of the water to reach out and cup her cheek. Tieria leaned in his palm, her restful face resembling a cat purring at one's touch.<br/>"There are no thoughts." She breathed dreamingly. "Merely savoring this."</p><p>Tieria did not allow Wrathion to give a response, he could not even release a chuckle, for she immediately kissed him with all her passion. Her grip was so tight around the dragon, as if the templar was afraid she'd lose him in the water. The loving kiss soon became heated, Wrathion trailed his lips to the soft skin of her neck, laying trail of kisses while occasionally biting her as well. Tieria encouraged him to continue with her breathless moans.<br/>He once again gripped her waist tightly, and lifted with ease, readying himself to plunge inside her with one powerful thrust.</p><p>The echo of both doors of the bathing room opening, halted Wrathion instantly. Both the dragon and the templar turned to witness three of Blacktalon agents entering nonchalantly, one of them was agent Cullen, accompanied by two females: a human and a night elf.<br/>At first the agents did not notice their presence in the steamy chamber, they were far too focused chuckling between each other.<br/>As soon as the Blacktalons reached towards the edge of the central pool - they gasped in surprise at the sight of their master swimming in its water, with the templar still holding him tightly.</p><p>"M-my Lord!" Exclaimed Cullen both embarrassed and straddled. It seemed he attempted to avoid looking at the Black Prince, as his eyes kept blinking from the dragon to the ceiling. "I-I was not aware you were…" The man coughed, unsure how to express what he was witnessing. "We, we will leave you to your-" Cullen swallowed heavily.<br/>Wrathion remained holding Tieria while lifting a brow with a composed look. His eyes indicated that he was irritated by this sudden interruption, but he made no effort to explain to his agents that he desired for them to withdraw from the room - the situation was quite self-explanatory for them to realize that on their own.</p><p>"We're leaving." Declared Cullen nervously while looking back to his fellow agents. The two women, whose cheeks flushed red at the sight of their master in such a … <em>Voluptuous</em> condition, nodded at Cullen and swiftly took their leave.<br/>After the agents shut the doors behind them, Tieria turned at Wrathion, blinking rapidly as she was recovering from the awkward position. Firstly, she pressed her lips against each other before speaking:<br/>"Well… Looks like your agents now know how you're bedding the paladin you recruited." The templar said in a forced giggle.</p><p>Wrathion chuckled, there was not even the slightest sign on his face which would indicate that the dragon was uncomfortable by the reveal. He was simply annoyed at the interruption, and swiftly wished to resume their activity.<br/>He gave Tieria a smirk and grabbed her chin; before pulling her for another kiss, the dragon said in a warm tone:<br/>"I couldn't care less, dear templar."</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Unfolding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Niall exhaled heavily, sweat was dripping off from both sides of his temples. He clenched the sword tighter in his left hand as he peered into the eyes of his adversary - Maxwell Tyrosus.<br/>The veteran paladin stood firm in his battle pose, akin to a statue of a mighty hero displayed in the fortress of a mighty templar citadel. Little drops of sweat were seen glistening on his bronze skin, but unlike Niall - the Silver Hand champion breathed at a steady pace.</p><p>Niall took in a deep breath, he slipped a step further whilst licking his lips. The taste of his own sweat lingering in his mouth. The young recruit released a battle cry as he began charging towards Maxwell, raising his blade in an attempt to flank his opponent; however, Maxwell parried his attack without a flinch. Niall glared intensively into Maxwell's visible eye as he held his ground, their sword trembling against one another. The young templar wondered how Maxwell's face could be so serene in that moment; it seemed as if the Silver Hand champion had no struggle with this duel.<br/>In a single, powerful move, Maxwell pushed Niall back. The young recruit waddled, while keeping his balance to ensure he won't crash on the stone ground.</p><p>"You are doing it wrong." Echoed a female voice from the side. Niall, as well as Maxell, turned to witness Tieria approaching them. The exiled templar looked at them with a cold look in her eyes, her tenderly shaped brows were snapped together, as if she was about to scold them.<br/>While Niall attempted his best to regain his breath, he looked surprised to find Tieria addressing him and Maxwell, for she hardly exchanged words with any of the Silver Hand members since their arrival.</p><p>It has been three days since the Knights of the Silver Hand have arrived in what the Black Prince and his allies titled <em>the Ebon Rest. </em>In that time, the paladins had little interaction with the dragon and the rest of his followers.<br/>Wrathion did not divulge too much information of his crusade against the Old God, despite the high paladins displease. The dragon simply informed them that as of this moment, the armies of the Horde and the Alliance were pushing back the cultists which were spreading N'Zoth's corruption on Azeroth, whilst the Diamond King and the black dragon were '<em>building' </em>a weapon against the Corruptor himself.</p><p>In these past three days, those within the Ebon Rest were awaiting for Speaker Magni to arrive in the sanctuary, so that he and the Black Prince, could pursue to plan the assault against N'Zoth. The members of the Silver Hand spent the waiting period by either resting in the private quarters the Blacktalon agents have granted them, or sparring. They would rarely discuss with anyone outside their order, aside from the Black Prince.<br/>Even Tieria, who Niall has learnt was a friend of Maxwell, and once was a member of the Silver Hand order, rarely addressed the paladins. A big part of the days she spent patrolling the abandoned tower, granting entrance to the Blacktalon agents who were returning from their missions; and in her leisure time - she was always seen by the Black Prince's side.</p><p>"He's left-handed." Tieria lectured Maxwell. Her observation caused Niall to glance down at his left hand, in which he still held his sword tightly. "He will never succeed in fighting with one handed weapon if he's left handed."<br/>Maxwell's brows drew together at Tieria's sudden harsh statement. He sized her up, adjusting to the fact that Tieria was at last talking to him.</p><p>In the brief moment that Maxwell thought of a response, Tieria took a step closer to Niall, gesturing to him to pass her his blade, which the young recruit forthwith carried out. With her left hand, Tieria lifted the sword horizontally, directing its sharp tip towards Maxwell while beginning to give an summary to Niall:<br/>"Because of the angle of the blade, as a left hander you can not efficiently push your sword down without you ending up inside your opponent's guard, open for a draw cut to the thighs or abdomen." Reiterated Tieria in a warm tone; she ensured each of her words was enunciated, so Niall could effortlessly grasp her explanation.</p><p>She firmly gripped the hilt of the sword, as she began haltingly shifting the blade in the air, simulating a strike. Niall caught the eye of a faint tremble in her left arm.<br/>"From experience, being left-handed was always challenging, because not only do you need to mirror the opponents movement - but you must also take into account the contrasting dynamics." As she continued to speak, the templar demonstrated various techniques of slashing a foe with a one handed sword, despite the jitter in her arm persisting.<br/>"So what do you propose I do?" Inquired Niall slightly timidly. This was the first time he saw Tieria up close, and the young recruit found himself quite intimidated by the templar who was the last one to wield the Ashbringer itself.</p><p>"Get a longsword." Declared Tieria, then she turned her head to Maxwell, only to repeat the same sentence: "Get him a longsword. He'll have to use both of his hands. I guarantee he will grasp it far easier and it will spare you and him from the headache of mastering the sword with his left hand. Take it from someone who has struggled with this throughout her entire squire training."<br/>"W-what if I will learn to fight with my right hand?" Chuckled Niall, with a shy smile on his gave him a smile. She extended her sword, allowing Niall to retrieve it.<br/>"You can try. But it takes time to switch your primary hand." Tieria said warmly. "If you insist on learning the skill of one handed blade, I'd recommend getting a hold to a gnome as your fighting instructor. Gnomes are primarily born to be left-handed unlike humans who are right-handed." Her smile deepened as she gave a light shrug. "A gnome warrior might give you some handy techniques."</p><p>Niall replied with another chuckle; his mind already began analyzing Tieria's words. He enjoyed having Lord Maxwell as his tutor - the Silver Hand champion was a good, skilled teacher. However, the young recruit speculated the sort of unique sword techniques a gnome could teach him.<br/>Tieria watched as Niall began reenacting the sword maneuvers she displayed to him, then she glanced at Maxwell, who gave her a nod, agreeing to her suggestion:</p><p>"Thank you for your advice, we'll take it into consideration." Breathed the Silver Hand champion, to which Tieria replied with a nod as well.<br/>Afterwards, a smile formed itself on Maxwell's lips and his eyes twinkled as a thought crossed his mind. With a wave of his hand, he gestured to Tieria and asked: "Care to show Niall how a left-handed fighter fights with a longsword?" Before she could even answer, the Silver Hand champion resumed his battle stance. Tieria stood silent at first; she stared at Maxwell with a considerate look.</p><p>With Caradin and Felassan gone, the templar had no one to spar with, and after so many years of fighting, Tieria had a habit to often have a warm up match with her comrades every day or so.<br/>And yet, as she told Maxwell on the first day she talked to him - she desired to avoid the paladins for the time being. Until her soul somewhat finds itself being accustomed to the turbulence within herself which their presence was causing.</p><p>As her eyes lingered on Maxwell, she forced herself to think of the memory of her and Maxwell training in the early days when they were both new recruits of the Argent Dawn. The particular recollection caused Tieria's heart to soften.<br/>She did not wait too long to reply. As another smile dawned on her lips, Tieria gave Maxwell an answer:<br/>"Let me get my longsword."</p><hr/><p>"You are dragging out the assault." Declared Lorga. The shaman's gaze lingered upon the Black Prince, who was seated at the end of the long desk in his chamber; his crimson eyes were piercing down on a parchment and yet, he attentively listened to the Farseer:<br/>"We cannot simply wait for a response from your agents in Storm Peaks, which may or may not arrive." Continued the orc. She briefly glanced at Haliki, who sat wordlessly further from Wrathion; the Zandalari troll watched as Lorga paced around, sighing in frustration at the dragon's unusual silence. "And Magni's should have arrived by now. The silence coming from the Speaker can only mean the Corruptor is advancing." Lorga's jaw clenched at her own sentence.</p><p>Wrathion groaned and reached out to rub his eyes with his index finger and thumb; he was just as disturbed as the Farseer, albeit he did not voice it. It was the dark glare which clouded his features, and his twisted expression, that gave away the dragon's foul mood.<br/>Three days ago, Wrathion sent letters to both Calthaire and Speaker Magni - and has not received any response from either of the parties.</p><p>He had anticipated a delayed response from his Blacktalons, as the messenger raven had a long and complicated path to journey, in order to reach his fellow agents.<br/>Nonetheless, based on his calculations - Speaker Magni should have received the dragon's written plea of coming to the Ebon Rest by now, and if the diamond dwarf possessed a flying mount (<em>which, he most likely did</em>), he should have reached the hidden sanctuary this early morning.<br/>This particular silence coming from the Speaker of Azeroth himself, made Wrathion's blood boil. The dragon could not help but draw to the conclusion that the Corruptor had finally fully emerged from his broken prison, and had recovered his full power.</p><p>"The elements are completely silent." The Farseer's strong voice caused Wrathion to break away from his own thoughts. He finally lifted his gaze at her; watching Lorga resting her palms on the wooden surface of the desk, with a grim expression; her honey-colored eyes fixated into his'.<br/>"When I joined your cause, the elements were disturbed, frightened. They whispered of a dark shadow looming in the depths." Lorga lamented darkly. "But ever since we landed in Zuldazar, they have become quieter and quieter… as if they are <em>afraid </em>of speaking to me. Now, I cannot hear them."</p><p>Wrathion remained silent, soaking in the shaman's statement. The dragon leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily as he spoke:<br/>"With all due respect Farseer… Is there a possibility that the elements are simply hushed towards <em>you</em>?" Speculated the Black Prince, hoping that the state of the elements was not connected to the Corruptor.<br/>He watched as Lorga's jaw clenched - it seemed she felt insulted at Wrathion's question, despite his polite attempt to address her.<br/>"It... <em>Is</em> a possibility." Declared the orc hesitant, her expression was collected, as if she anticipated such an inquiry. "Hence, I reached out to Rehgar this morning, I wrote to him asking how the Earthen Ring are fighting in Uldum, and if the elements are willing to fight by their side." She crossed her arms, exhaling heavily as she concluded her sentence: "I hope to receive a response soon. But I am not willing to wait longer than a day - we <em>have </em>to invade Ny'alotha."</p><p>Wrathion began stroking in goatee; his gaze remained on the orc, but the dragon had an empty stare as he delved into his thoughts once again. He glanced at Haliki, who continued to remain silent, as he assimilated the conversation between the dragon and the shaman. All three members stood quietly for some time, with only Lorga's footsteps echoing in the large chamber.<br/>The ominous silence was suddenly broken by agent Cullen barging into Wrathion's chamber with full speed.</p><p>"My Lord!" Exclaimed the human, he rushed to Wrathion's side with heavy steps. "A letter from Speaker Magni!"<br/>The eyes of Wrathion, Lorga and Haliki immediately widened. The Black Prince swiftly snatched the rolled parchment Cullen extended to him, opening it with haste as if his life depend on it. Which perhaps - in some outlandish way - it did.<br/>He began reading the written words of the Speaker of Azeroth, his brows frowning deeper and deeper, with each sentence he read. Then, in a blink of an eye, Wrathion crumpled the parchment in his fist, and began walking to exit his chamber, prompting Lorga and Haliki to exchange puzzled looks.</p><p>The Black Prince pushed both doors with his entire strength, opening them as widely as possible. He took a second to examine the hall and everyone present in it. Many of his agents, two Silver Hand paladins and Tieria - everyone had their eyes directed on the dragon upon his sudden presence.<br/>"The Forge of Origination is under attack! Speaker Magni is demanding our help." Decreed Wrathion powerfully, ensuring his voice was heard throughout the entire vast hall. "Prepare yourself - we are journeying to Uldum."</p><p>A lot of eyes and faces expressed concern or even startle, but it did not halt anyone from carrying out the Black Prince's command. Wrathion watched as his agents nodded and immediately spread out to either prepare the necessary supplies for the journey, or notify the news to the fellow agents who rested in their quarters.<br/>Pleased to witness everyone rushing with preparations, Wrathion retreated to his chamber once again, with Tieria, alongside Maxwell and Niall following the dragon.</p><p>"Felassan and Caradin are in Uldum as well." Stated Tieria as she paced inside the Black Prince's quarters. "Is there any report from them?"<br/>"No." Answered Wrathion simply. "But we will run into them as soon as we arrive - they were stationed to protect the Forge." The dragon fixated his gaze upon Cullen as he began to lay out his next order: "Go to Ratchet." Dictated the Black Prince to which his agent nodded. "Take some men with you, and acquire as many flying mounts as possible. I don't care what the price is." Wrathion's expression was so hardened, and his voice so dry, that it effortlessly revealed that the dragon was greatly disturbed by this sudden, time-pressing event.<br/>"Yes, my Lord." Saluted Cullen.</p><p>Tieria watched as the Blacktalon agent promptly took his leave, then her gaze turned to Wrathion, whose features were darkened. He rearranged the crippled paper on the desk, smoothing the folded lines with his thumb and giving it another read.<br/>"Mind indulging us in what's going on?" Inquired Maxwell to the dragon. But the Silver Hand knight's question fell to death ears, since Lorga and Wrathion began exchanging words between each other:</p><p>"How strong is the cultists advance?" The shaman asked, to which Wrathion let out a heavy sigh.<br/>"Magni says their number increases by day. It is only a matter of time until they succeed in breaking down the defenses of the Forge." The dragon looked up at the orc and gave her a sinister smile. "You are right Farseer, we cannot postpone the assault any longer."</p><p>"Wrathion!" Addressed Tieria vociferously, much like Maxwell and Niall, she felt left out of this conversation. The dragon immediately glanced at her upon hearing her voice. Realizing how vague he has been with his command, Wrathion inhaled deeply and deliver a better answer to the three paladins who stood before him:<br/>"Members of both the Earthen Ring and the Cenarion Circle were pushing out the cultist activities in Uldum since the first signs of N'Zoth's presence emerged. I sent Caradin and Felassan, alongside a handful of my agents to aid them in the defense of the Forge of Origination." He attempted to summarize as shortly as he could. "Speaker Magni reached out to me right now, and is pleading for our help as apparently N'Zoth is advancing on that territory, set to attack the Forge."</p><p>Tieria brows snapped together. She recalled the event when she and Wrathion arrived in Silithus at the dawn of their journey together, where Speaker Magni elaborated that in order to use the Forge from the Chamber of Heart against N'Zoth - it had to be infused with the energies of the Twin Forges. The templar vividly remembering the Diamond King asserting that there were already attacks coming from the Black Empire's minions in Uldum, where the Forge of Origination was; but there was never any word of The Corruptor sending his forces to attack the Forge of Wills, which to Tieria's knowledge, was equally important.</p><p>"What makes you think there aren't any cultist activities in the Forge of Wills in Storm Peaks?" Tieria queried, her breath still hastened from dueling with Maxwell. She proceeded to arrange her longsword against the edge of Wrathion's desk and wipe away some of the sweat which formed on her face with both of her hands. "I doubt cultists are afraid of a blizzard."<br/>"Both Forges flow essence which gives life in this world and rhythms of the earth, but only the Forge of Origination has the ability to eradicate life on Azeroth. Hence, making it more important than its twin from Storm Peaks." Replied Farseer Lorga instantly. Satisfied with the clear answer she has received, Tieria nodded at the orc.<br/>"This is why we need to reach Uldum as soon as possible, and aid the Speaker in defending the Forge until we have our weapon against N'Zoth ready." Concluded Wrathion, his eyes still agitated and lips set in a hard line.</p><p>"How many more soldiers do you plan on sending to Uldum?" Intervened Maxwell, this time speaking more intrusive as to be heard by the Black Prince.<br/>"Everyone. Only a small amount of my Blacktalons will remain here, waiting for Calthaire's letter or hopefully… Return." Stated the dragon. "You may choose between your paladins if any of you desire to remain here; but I would advise you not to do that - we need <em>everyone </em>to defend the Forge. If it falls into the grasp of the Corruptor - Azeroth will suffer defeat."</p><p>Maxwell's jaw clenched at Wrathion's last words, he pressed his lips tightly against one another. His eyes shined with determination, it seemed that the Silver Hand knight was already forming in his mind the conversation he was about to have with his fellow paladins.<br/>He gave a formal nod to Wrathion and everyone present in a form of parting, and motioned to Niall to follow him. Tieria watched as the two paladins took their leave to their quarters the rest paladins were; then, with a voiceless exchange of looks with Wrathion, she informed the dragon that she too, will begin to prepare for their journey to Uldum.</p><hr/><p>There were perhaps more than twenty winged beasts standing on the wet soil of Dustwallow Marsh. A combination of gryphons, wyvern and hippogryphs waited patiently as satchels of supplies and weapons were tied around their saddles.<br/>It was uncertain how agent Cullen and his comrades succeeded in acquiring so many steeds, but Wrathion was most pleased.<br/>Albeit, the number of riders were more than the number of mounts, the Black Prince declared that some might need to fly in pairs, or even in three - if the mount allowed it. He needed as many as possible to aid in defense of Uldum. Only five of his Blacktalons, alongside Julia Celeste and Cyssa Dawnrose were to remain behind to keep order in the Ebon Rest.</p><p>The Black Prince felt somewhat relieved that now he had more Light-wielding warriors in his arsenal. With more paladins present in the Ebon Rest, Tieria was no longer the sole person responsible for the hidden entrance. Now, with Tieria about to be absent, the Blacktalon agents who were remaining in the Ebon Rest, did not need to concern themselves with the rule of never leaving the underground sanctuary, as there were two paladins who were able to grant them passage inside.</p><p>Nonetheless, Wrathion did hope that in the period that he is away, Julia Celeste - who did not hesitate to profess her displeasure over his '<em>leadership' </em>of this temporary organization - would not make the foolish attempt to take over the sanctuary, as the paladin's task originally was.</p><p>Tieria glanced around, watching everyone pairing around a mount as she petted on the head the hippogryph she was about to ride with agent Cullen. It was morning in Dustwallow Marsh, and yet the humid air was already unbearable, causing her skin to form an ugly glisten and curl the tips of her ponytail.<br/>She began numbering the amount of winged beasts and people; voiceless Tieria mouthed each number, with her index finger pointing as she numbered. Upon realizing the number was uneven and one person would remain mountless, Tieria approached Wrathion, who stood further aside and was the only one not standing by the side of a winged animal. His crimson eyes peered around, waiting for everyone to be prepared:</p><p>"You don't have a mount." Pointed out the paladin. Wrathion chortled, and gave her a teasing smile as he thought the templar was making a joke. Tieria blinked confused at him, unable to understand why the dragon was smirking.<br/>It took Tieria a solid minute, to realize the stupidity of her own words.<br/>"<em>Oh!</em>" A crisp red blush appeared on Tieria's cheeks, she gave Wrathion a shy smile. Her blush deepened when the dragon began chuckling at her embarrassment, making her cover her flustered face with her gloved palm.</p><p>"If you can fly, why don't you carry some of your agents on your back?" Inquired Tieria in a surly manner, although there was still a smile on her lips. Wrathion ceased from laughing and scoffed, he looked at her fondly while shaking his head.<br/>"I think I've covered this with you before, dear templar." Chided the dragon, the teasing smile still lasting on his lips. "I <em>loathe </em>the concept of mortals using my kind as mounts; hence I will never allow it. The only exception I have made is when we were stuck in the blizzard in Storm Peaks, and I carried the Farseer and Felassan in search of shelter."</p><p>"So, you will never have a mortal flying on your back?" Tieria asked which was responded by Wrathion again shaking his head. The templar gave him another smile as she teased flirtingly: "Not even me?"<br/>The Black Prince gave another chuckle, and did not refrain himself from reaching out to caress her jawline, despite being in the open in front of everyone.<br/>"If you want to ride me... There are <em>other </em>methods." Purred Wrathion sensual, his crimson eyes shining into hers.</p><p>Tieria's cheek flush even redder than before, she felt goosebumps forming on her skin. She bit her lower lip, taken aback by the comment Wrathion made in such stressful time; it was welcoming to see the dragon still acting as his normal self, despite the aggravated situation.<br/>Wrathion chuckled again at her flustered expression. He removed his gloved hand from her face, eagerly waiting to see how the templar will reply to his narration.</p><p>After a moment of utter silence, Tieria let out a giggle, looking down at the muddy ground as she felt too smoldered to even look into his gleaming crimson eyes. She and Wrathion have made love already plenty of times since their relationship has blossomed; and yet, Tieria always fell in a state of delirium and bashfulness whenever he flirted with her. One could never get used to the dragon's unending cocky attitude mixed with charming mannerism; and of course, the sultry smile which always made Tieria's knees feel weak.</p><p>"I've... <em>Rode </em>you in that <em>particular </em>method." Said the templar in-between her giggle. It was visible that she was trying to sate her laughter but had a difficult time composing herself. "And while it's an... <em>Exhilarating </em>ride. I do wonder what it is like to see Azeroth from the back of a dragon."<br/>The Black Prince grinned at her argument. However, it was not a reason strong enough to convince the dragon. He was about to give her answer, but he halted once he caught the eye of agent Cullen approaching them.<br/>The Blacktalon man was walking timidly towards the dragon and the templar; ever since some of his men have learnt of the "<em>companionship</em>" between their master and Tieria - his agents would always behave timidly around them, always having the feeling that they were intruding on an important moment between them.</p><p>Wrathion licked his lips, tearing his gaze away from Tieria and inhaling deeply. Cullen standing in front of him - most likely to report that the preparations have been made - forced the black dragon to wake up into the reality; the reality in which they were about to fight more of N'Zoth's forces. A reality he was exhausted of, both mentally and physically.</p><p>Mutely the dragon gave a nod to Cullen, granting the agent the permission to speak:<br/>"Everyone is ready, my Lord." Announced Cullen, his voice trembling slightly due to Wrathion's cold expression. The Blacktalon agent did not know that the exasperated look on his Master's face was not directed to him, and assumed that he had angered Wrathion by interrupting his and Tieria's conversation.</p><p>The Black Prince examined the area, sighting all of his agents mounted up, much like Farseer Lorga and the three Silver Hand paladins; Haliki was the only one who didn't rely on a beast to carry him to the skies. As a druid, the Zandalari druid had the ability to have his own wings; which he demonstrated - by standing next to Lorga in the shape of a pterrordax, its scales of the same shade as the color of his skin and his tusks coming out from the lower part of his mouth, much like his natural troll form.</p><p>Wrathion turned to Tieria once again, upon locking their eyes into each other, the templar gave him a warm smile before taking a step back to climb upon the hippogryph.<br/>Once Cullen and Tieria were seated on the mount, Wrathion altered his shape - from the handsome dark-skinned half-elf - to the mighty, formidable-looking black dragon. He roared towards the sun akin to a battlecry and spread his wings widely to leap off in the air, with everyone following right behind him.<br/>Suddenly, the sky of Dustwallow Marsh was brimming with hippogryphs, gryphons and wyvern, who devotedly flew behind the black dragon, the leader of the assault against The Corruptor and the Black Empire.</p><p>
  <em>"That which was sunken shall rise..."</em>
</p><hr/><p>The swarm of winged aqir were darkening the skies of Uldum. Stains of red and black blood were smudging in the sands of the archaic desert. The fauna cowered itself in the oasis', fleeting in the shelter of trees, brushes, grass or even dug underground. The few denizens, who lived on this unforgiving sweltering land, were picking up arms to fight back the ancient foe, which was rising from the abyss.</p><p>Uldum was in a far worse state than the Black Prince, or anyone had anticipated. The veil between the reality of Azeroth and Ny'alotha continued to become thinner and thinner.<br/>At an arbitrary time, a thunder-like blare would be heard throughout the desert, and in a blink of an eye - the faint silhouette of the Black Empire's fortress would be seen in the sky. The vision would linger for only a brief moment before vanishing in thin air.<br/>The view of this unholy realm - despite the short span it lasted in the sky - was gripping fear into the hearts of everyone who would glance at it.</p><p>The invasion on the desert of Uldum - where the Forge of the Origination lingered in the deepness of the sand - began a while back; in the immediate moment after N'Zoth was released from his prison from the depths of the ocean. The Corruptor, despite greatly weakened, after millennia of being jailed, instantaneously began whispering to his loyal followers that the time of his accession had arrived.</p><p>His minions were tasked to conquer any Titan facility which existed on Azeroth: Ulduar, located within the icy depths of Northrend, Uldaman, resting in the realm of Eastern Kingdoms, Uldir, lingering in the center of the unforgiving swamp of Nazmir.<br/>But their primary task was to take a hold of the titan machine from Uldum. Should they succeed, their Master would physically be able to enter the realm of Azeroth, at a much greater speed - and erase its pathetic mortal-filled reality, bringing the Black Empire back to its prime.</p><p>The situation was worsening by day. The lowly k'thir and their mindless void abominations have brought reinforcements by now. The minions of the Corruptor were joined by fiends as n'raqi, and even the massive, beetle-like aqir - which were used to bring down the buildings of the desert. They were relentlessly pushing their assault to seize the Forge of the Origination.</p><p>The Ramkaken tribe, a peaceful faction consisting of an ancient race named Tol'vir, fought to defend their desert, alongside the members of the Earthen Ring and the Cenarion Circle, who were already battling on these sands long before the situation became this complicated.<br/>Soon enough, due to the Black Prince's plea a while ago - the forces of the Horde and the Alliance spread their armies across the territory of Azeroth, where the minions of the Black Empire pursued their attack.</p><p>With the Alliance taking charge in leading the defense in the lands of Northrend and Eastern Kingdoms, the defense of the Forge of the Origination was joined by soldiers of the Horde. They were led by Eitrigg - the aging Blackrock orc warrior, and veteran of the First and Second Wars, who was known as an advisor to the leaders of the Horde. Eitrigg was joined by Nazgrel as a co-leader. The preeminent warrior of the Frostwolf clan acted as a commander of the forces which fought on the front lines of this battle.<br/>Nazgrel spread the army of the Horde throughout Uldum, attempting to destroy any encampment the Corruptor's minions had, while Eitrigg was organizing a studier defense strategy with King Phaoris, the leader of the Ramkahen tribe.</p><p>The Horde was a great help in guarding the sand-filled land, however, not even with their help, was it possible to completely eradicate the Black Empire threat. The only way to put a stop to this assault was to cut off the head of the snake - bring down the Old God himself.<br/>Soon enough, a missive was sent to Speaker Magni, declaring that Uldum was swarmed with minions of the Corruptor, and it was only a matter of time until the joined forces of Azeroth would lose their stand. The Diamond King has elected to leap into the battle without hesitation, and the moment his crystal foot stepped into Uldum, he sent word for the Black Prince and his allies.</p><p>Caradin and Felassan, alongside fellow Blacktalon agents and the newly-recruited treasure hunters, arrived in Uldum, simultaneously when Magni sent his summoning letter to Wrathion, albeit that was not known to neither the Speaker of Azeroth nor the allies of the Black Prince.</p><p>Caradin confidently led the charge; it seemed the Blacktalon were ordered to put their trust in the Argent Crusade sergeant. Hawke, the captain of the treasure hunter crew, also led his men according to Caradin's command. And the Ramkahen warriors made no complaint in receiving more help in the defense of their homeland; together with Caradin's charge, they fought side by side, aiding each other with battle resources and healing each other's allies.<br/>They stationed themselves on the grounds of a pyramid temple, located on the eastern side of the desert. The pyramid was the very Halls of Origination - the stronghold which was housing the ancient treasure which was the Forge of Origination. Given that this building was the conquering point of the Corruptor's minions, this was where the biggest battle was always held.</p><p>"Stand ready everyone!" Yelled out Caradin, while tightening the grip of his battleaxe. His blue eyes were fixated on the long path which was laid out before the entrance of the Halls of Origination, and where at the end of it, a massive aqir was seen charging towards the ancient titan temple, followed by smaller flying ones. "Another big one incomin'!"<br/>The Blacktalon, the Tol'vir defenders, the Horde soldiers, the treasure hunters and Felassan, gripped their weapons, aimed their bows and channeled their magic, preparing for another wave of battle.</p><p>The insect-like creatures released a sharp, taunting screech as they dashed towards the mortal defenders. The Horde mages, which consisted of some sin'dorei and goblins, began casting a large arcane barrier around the army, allowing the rangers who were stationed at the top of the pillars which were arranged throughout the main path to the pyramid, to weaken their targets before the warriors would leap to attack from the ground.</p><p>The massive aqir bashed its head into the transparent barrier, attempting to tear it down with his body strength. The mages stood their ground. They kept channeling their spell, despite feeling their mana energy already draining out of them; sweat was dripping off their bodies, they gritted their teeth as they felt becoming weaker and weaker by the second. Rangers from atop the pillars and buildings continued to bring down as many flying aqir as they could, and execute some sort of damage on the massive one.<br/>Caradin swallowed heavily. Every time the giant aqir would slam itself into the barrier, swirling purple light was seen emitting from the barrier in the form of a glass cracking. It wouldn't be long until it succeeds in taking down the magical shield.</p><p>A load roar was suddenly heard in the distance. Such roar has never been heard before on this battlefield, hence it caused everyone, even the aqir themselves, to halt and look into the sky or around them. The growl evoked once again, this time louder and more… <em>Intimidating</em>. Something was coming. Something that nobody was expecting.</p><p>Caradin blinked confused as this roar was oddly familiar to him.<br/>A large shadow, followed by multiple smaller ones, suddenly covered the battle before the pyramid of the Halls of Origination. The tank aqir screech displeased; in an unnatural way, it lifted its insect head to glance at the sudden intruder who soared in the sky. But before it could even blink, it was suddenly blinded by red and yellow light searing its eyes. In an instant - a massive fireball fell into the aqir, searing it before it could take any action.</p><p>The winged aqir attempted to fly away, but soon enough they were caught in a rain of fire breathing on their chitin body. The beasts screeched as they burnt in agony, collapsing on the stone ground, trembling in the last moment before their inevitable deaths.<br/>Caradin, as well as the others who were present at the battlefield, froze at the sudden wall of fire which lingered right before the barrier, and scorched down their enemies in mere seconds. But as soon as the dwarf lifted his gaze into the sky, he let out a loud cheer in victory.</p><p>The Black Prince flew above the ground of Halls of Origination, in his mighty black dragon form. He was breathing fire down upon whatever minions of N'Zoth he laid his eyes on. Behind him, gryphons, wyverns and hippogryphs flew; every flying beast had riders, clearly stating that they were the Black Prince's champions and more Blacktalons.</p><p>Felassan grinned as he watched Caradin and the Blacktalon agents marveling at the dragon's presence; cheers and whistles of victory rang loudly in the demon hunter's ears. The Tol'vir warriors and the Horde soldiers, albeit dazed at what had just occurred, swiftly understood that this black dragon was on their side - given the fact that he scorched a wave of Black Empire minions to ash - and joined in celebrating the newly arrived help.<br/>The demon hunter lifted his gaze into the sky to witness Wrathion making a landing, a couple of inches away from the burnt carcass of the massive aqir. Everyone else who was mounted followed swiftly behind him. The mages annulled their shield barrier, letting themselves fall on their knees from exhaustion.</p><p>"That was a phenomenal entrance, lizard!" Exclaimed Caradin as he approached Wrathion in a hasting pace. While Caradin, Felassan and the fellow Blacktalon approached the black dragon, smoke began enveloping the scaled creature as he was turning into his half-elven disguise.<br/>Once he was in his mortal form, Wrathion gave a triumphant smile to Caradin and said:<br/>"Did you honestly think I would have done it otherwise, sergeant?" Chuckled the dragon, speaking in his egotistical tone as usual, and for once - making Caradin laugh at his smug mannerism.</p><p>Tieria swiftly dismounted the gryphon, with a large smile on her lips upon the sight of Caradin and Felassan being alive and uninjured. She opened her mouth to speak, but instantly refrained from doing so as a large Tol'vir approached the Black Prince. She had very little knowledge of the Tol'vir, only that these were one of the most ancient races on Azeroth; and given how it was the first time Tieria was encountering this race in the flesh, she took her time in analyzing the magnificent being.</p><p>It possessed a feline lower body and head, but as well as a human torso. The muscular body and strong features indicated that he was a male. He was covered in blonde-shaded fur, with patches of silver running in a line up and down from his surprisingly well-toned torso. The Tol'vir wore little armor, only metal bracelets around his wrists, one shoulderpad made out of bronze rested on his right shoulder, but they were excessively decorated with precious gems, and the red sash he wore around his waist was made out of a fine fabric.<br/>His green cat-eyes sized up Wrathion and the rest as he approached; while clenching his polearm in his hand, he silently analyzed each member of the group of this 'new-coming aid'.</p><p>"This is General Ammantep." Introduced Caradin, the moment the Tol'vir warrior stood next to him. "We haven't spoken much, but from fightin' for together for three days straight - we know these people are good warriors, and will not give up the Forge that easily."<br/>"That is reassuring to hear." Proclaimed Wrathion; albeit he did not have doubt that the ancient race would simply give up the Forge to intruders. After all their sole purpose, given by the Titan was to maintain lore repositories and machinery surrounding Uldum. However, the dragon did fear that even this ancient race could fall to the whispers of the Corruptor.</p><p>"Your timing was fortunate, and welcoming." Said General Ammantep as a greeting while giving a formal bow with his head. Wrathion returned his polite greeting, and has elected not to strain too much time with greetings and introductions, as he immediately leaped to ask:<br/>"Where is Speaker Magni?" The dragon's crimson eyes surveyed the area in hope to see the Diamond King.<br/>"The Speaker of Azeroth is in our capital city, alongside our king." Announced Ammantep in a surprisingly well spoken tongue. "They, alongside the representatives of the Earthen Ring, the Horde and the Cenarion Circle, are discussing a defense tactic for the Forge as we speak."</p><p>"Take us there." Commanded Wrathion, but the dragon was answered with a shaking of head coming from the Tol'vir general.<br/>"I cannot leave my post." Ammantep said firmly, resting the end of his polearm on the ground.<br/>"We'll take ye there." Intervened Caradin, taking a step closer to the dragon as he gestured with his head at the mana-drained mages, few Horde warriors and treasure hunters who were bleeding and bruised from the earlier attacks. "We gotta take the injured back ta' the infirmary camp anyway."</p><hr/><p>Wrathion rain of fire seared more Black Empire fiends than anticipated. For a brief moment, the attack upon the Halls of Origination was halted.<br/>It allowed more soldiers to temporarily retreat to Ramkahen city, with only the guards of the temple and some soldiers of the Horde remaining to defend.</p><p>The capital city, titled Ramkahen, was located on the fork of a river named Vir'naal. It was a rich settlement, as every building had a unique mosaic tapestry decorating their walls, precious stone and gems were used as door knobs; tall statues of titan watchers were placed around the small port, acting like sentries of the city. The buildings, many of them with pyramid roofs, were made out of fine refined yellow brick.<br/>By being situated at the bank of the river, the streets also had vegetation growing. Tall palm trees provided shade from the unforgiving sun, the green bushes and flowers granted a welcoming contrast of color with the sand streets. The citizens, much like any mortal civilization on Azeroth, were occupied with various responsibilities: merchants, farmers, blacksmiths and that is only to name a few.</p><p>The Black Prince and his companions landed on the docks on the city. Tol'vir warriors were flooding the area, however, there were an equal number of shamans and druids present throughout those streets.<br/>The dragon ordered his Blacktalon agents to familiarize themselves with the Tol'vir capital; taking only Tieria, Lorga, Haliki, Caradin, Felassan, agent Cullen, Maxwell and Niall with him, to reunite with Speaker Magni, who according to the words of General Ammantep - was located in the largest pyramid of the city, which was the palace of King Phaoris.</p><p>It was a massive, bronze building, which was in fact, quite difficult to omit. A certain flight of stairs had to be taken to reach it. Tol'vir guards were stationed every couple of steps, and of course, two heavily armored defenders stood guard before the large doors of the palace, which were made of polished metal and had a mosaic of a Tol'vir warrior and a lion in a combat pose.<br/>Much like in the port, the platform upon which the palace-pyramid stood, had stone sculpted statues arranged on every corner. Albeit it was not known to a simple-minded mortal, these statues represented the four titanic watchers, who were the wardens of the Halls of the Origination: Rajh, Ammunae, Setesh and Isiset.</p><p>Aside from Tol'vir royal guards patrolling the area of the pyramid, once the Black Prince and his followers reached the top, they caught the sight of a female troll and a male orc discussing between each other right outside the entrance of the palace.<br/>The female troll was a jungle troll; her skin was cerulean blue color, and her green hair was tied in a very amusing ponytail, akin to a pineapple. She wore a headdress with multiple feathers arranged around the crown, and her robe was made out of combinations of green cloth and brown leather. Her attire sat loosely on her thin body; and the troll did not seem to be bothered that her chest was marginally exposed, and the long cut in her kilt revealed her entire leg.</p><p>The male orc was bare chested, but wore a dark blue long kilt and his wrists were dressed in large metal bracelets, with the head of a wolf sculpted on each of them. His shoulderpads were made of the identical material as his wrist cuffs and even had the same design of a wolf head sculpture. A long, brown wolf pelt was covering his head and his broad shoulders. The fur helmet covered a large portion of his face, with only his lower jaw being visible. Portion of his long hair rested on his back and shoulders, displaying its dark brown shade.</p><p>Given the appearance of these figures, one would theorize they must be the Cenarion Circle and the Earthen Ring representatives, who were assisting Magni and the Tol'vir leader with the defense strategy. Before Wrathion, or anyone, could address them - Farseer Lorga immediately ran towards them.</p><p>"Rehgar!" Exclaimed Lorga as she rushed towards the male orc with unusual excitement. It prompted everyone to halt, and watch the Farseer.<br/>The two orcs embraced tightly, Lorga first buried her face into his neck before lifting her gaze at him. He gave her a warm smile, then gently pressed his forehead against hers. Giving their warm and loving touch, one could make the simple connection that this orc must be Lorga's lifemate.</p><p>"Where's our boy?" Inquired Lorga softly, tears of joy shone in her eyes upon the sight of her mate. Rehgar gently rested his hands on her arms, feeling the sensation of her skin made the orc grunt in bliss.<br/>"There is an encampment for the wounded in the north of the city; our son is tending to those who need healing." Explained her mate, his low, growling-like voice was music to Lorga's ears. The Farseer nodded at her mate, relief to hear her son is safe and itching to rush to this encampment to see him.</p><p>Lorga reached out to caress Rehgar's face, a smile formed on her lips. It was a sort of smile Wrathion and no one else from the Ebon Rest have witnessed. It was loving and warm; it could truly be seen that the mighty Farseer cared a great deal about this orc.<br/>Rehgar and Lorga broke away from their intimate moment as Wrathion approached them. The dragon silently awaited an introduction, which the Farseer granted it:</p><p>"This is Rehgar, my life mate and one of the leaders of the Earthen Ring." Reiterated Lorga, her hand resting on his chest as Rehgar wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him.<br/>"You must be the one Magni summoned." Elaborated Rehgar; Wrathion was unable to read the orc's expression, giving how much of his face was covered by the wolf helmet. The Black Prince nodded at Rehgar, then his eyes turned to the female troll, who stood with a serene expression.</p><p>"Zen'tabra." She said her name, her chestnut-brown eyes searching the dragon up and down. "I be representin' the Cenarion Circle."<br/>"Where is Speaker Magni?" Tieria intervened, while taking a couple of steps closer to Wrathion.<br/>"Inside." Replied Rehgar while motioning with his head towards the palace. "We were taking a recess from our discussion, but with your arrival - it is a good time to resume."</p><hr/><p>Rehgar and Zen'tabra took the group inside the palace, due to the rules of the royal court - they had to be accompanied by a royal guard, who guided everyone to the throne room.<br/>The inside of the pyramid was much more spectacular than the outside. The floor was made out of sapphire glass, the walls and ceiling were decorated with gold and bronze. The pillars which held the building itself, were inscribed in hieroglyphs unseen in any texts. The air was indescribably cool inside the palace, despite the blazing sun heating the desert.</p><p>The throne chamber was large, but empty. With only Speaker Magni, Eitrigg and King Phaoris present at the very end of the room. Not even guards stationed inside this room. And there was little furniture too - braziers to provide light, some planted vegetation for a scent of freshness, and a large square table resting across the throne seat. The complex designs and decorated gems of his seat gave away that this was a throne.</p><p>Upon the sight of Wrathion and the rest, Speaker Magni lifted his glossy arms in the air, delighted to see the Black Prince in the flesh.<br/>"Wrathion!" Exclaimed the Diamond King in a chuckle. "I knew ye would make it here in no time! Good ta see you lad!"<br/>Wrathion's mouth curved into a smile and spoke out of his heart:<br/>"It is good to see you as well, Magni." The dragon's words intensified the dwarf's chuckle. Once his laughter has sated, Magni extended his arm to the left side, presenting the mighty soul who was seated on the long throne.<br/>"This is King Phaoris. Leader of the Ramkahen tribe." Gestured Magni at the feline humanoid.</p><p>The Tol'vir weren't the ones to wear too many clothes or even armor, as their colorful fur was sufficient. The little armor Phaoris did wear, was mainly for aesthetics - to demonstrate the richness and culture of his people. A velvet sash was arranged on his hips, his wrists were decorated in golden bracelets, rings were circled around his clawed fingers. He held a tall staff made out of a dark silver metal, with a large ring resting on the top and eerie light green magic swirling in the opening of the ring.<br/>Next to the throne, a large lion was sleeping. Even the beast wore a necklace, made out of a combination of gold, ruby and jade.</p><p>King Phaoris removed himself from the throne upon the sight of Wrathion approaching him, with the rest following behind him. The Tol'vir leader analyzed everyone, his red-brown eyes inspected each member carefully.</p><p>"Hail to Ramkahen!" Roared King Phaoris in a welcome tone. "I welcome your aid in these trying times." The lion which stood by the throne, rose to approach the king, and Phaoris immediately placed his clawed hand on the beasts hand, gently petting the massive feline. Then, the Tol'vir leader fixated his gaze on Wrathion as he addressed the Black Prince: "You must be the dragon the Speaker has told me of. The one who is leading the crusade against this infernal enemy."<br/>"Yes, you stand before the Black Prince." Declared Wrathion, in a somewhat humble tone; even <em>he </em>had a tremendous respect by the ancient race which were the Tol'vir.</p><p>As Tieria watched Wrathion and King Phaoris greeting each other with small head bows, with the corner of her eye she caught the sight of Lorga and Rehgar exchanging ominous looks. Her forehead creased upon that view, but before her mind could rise with any sort of wonderments of what she witnessed, King Phaoris spoke again, causing her to direct her focus on the Tol'vir royalty.</p><p>"While I am grateful to each of you for your help, and I would desire to learn the name and skill of every warrior here, I am afraid time does not allow me." Said King Phaoris, in a faltered tone. "We must form a plan to push these fiends away from the Forge and Uldum, once and for all!" With a motion of his hand, Phaoris gestured to everyone to gather around the square-shaped table which laid before his throne.</p><p>As soon as the formation was made, Phaoris extended his hand above the surface of the table, then with a swift maneuver he clenched his fingers together, drawing them into a fist. At that moment, sand formed atop the table, covering the entire surface. Gradually it began to tremble. Everyone was watching the moving sand, fluttering and twisting in various sizes and shapes until it laid out into the entire zone of Uldum. Miniature sand buildings were arranged according to the real life position; every temple, statue, cave, hill was visible in astonishing detail on this unusual sand map. Tieria wondered what sort of magic did King Phaoris possess to execute this. Much like her, Tieria saw Caradin, Maxwell and Niall being equally impressed.</p><p>"Many weeks ago," Began King Phaoris, his gaze fixated on the sand sculpture. "The first cultist attack came from here." With the tip of his staff, he pointed northwest, where a large courtyard and an entrance inside an underground temple was located. "From the grounds of Obelisk of the Moon. The attackers were simple mortal races, practicing in void magic. We believed they were mere savages who attempt to walk into the footsteps of Twilight Hammer." King Phaoris paused, glanced around as he had everyone's eyes upon him. "But soon enough, the situation has gotten worse. Some of these cultists transformed into the small faceless ones, their magic grew powerful and insectoid races joined their ranks. They do not attack our homes; they do not seek to conquer my palace or my city - the foes are fixated upon the Hall of Origination."<br/>"And they will not stop." Concluded Wrathion while crossing his arms and gazing down upon the miniature sand sculpture of the Halls of Origination. "Not while N'Zoth breathes behind the veil." The tone in the dragon's sentence left an indication that he planned on adding up to his sentence, however, as his gaze lingered upon the sand map, he began losing himself into his own thoughts, drifting away from the conversation without concluding his sentence.</p><p>"I be confused." Confessed Haliki without hesitation. The Zandalari troll took a step further to be better seen from all sides as he professed his question: "De Old God still be weak from de prison. It be tryin' ta get to tha Forge ta speed up the process of his recovery and bring tha Black Empire in dis world's reality." Haliki watched as both Speaker Magni and Wrathion nodded at his summary; then the troll let a small sigh in relief, before continuing: "But den… Upon arriving in dis desert, we saw a fragment on tha city Ny'alotha flickering in the sky. And de number of de Corruptor's minions keep growing; where do they come from? How it be succeedin' in thinnin' the veil between Azeroth and Ny'alotha without de Forge?"</p><p>"The anchors." Replied Rehgar. He had a strong, low voice, which even in his calm tone resonated as if the orc was indignant. "The '<em>flickering in the sky'</em> as you call it, is a mistake made by the Horde." The gladiator shaman turned to Eitrigg, who did not deny his words. The veteran orc gave a nod, humbling taking the blame; he remained silent however, allowing Rehgar to explain:<br/>"Those tall, black pyramid-shaped pillars are apparently some manner of instrument which the k'thri charge with void energy, and weaken the veil." He crossed his muscled arms as he paused briefly. "A Horde team was clearing out a cultist encampment in the north, and they destroyed the pillar which caused the sky to break; since then, we've been occasionally seeing the Black Empire. The destruction of that anchor <em>weakened </em>the veil."</p><p>"We have learnt that these anchors, once filled with enough energy, are being used to bring down a layer of the veil." Added King Phaoris.<br/>"Meaning we must not break them, otherwise we only do N'Zoth's work for him." Wrathion concluded, to which the Tol'vir leader nodded.<br/>"Nor must we allow the k'thir get close to them, as they will continue to fill them with energy and gradually thin the veil themselves." Surmised Phaoris, his hand continuing to stroke the head of his lion.<br/>"What is this energy they use?" Inverted Lorga, she looked up at her mate as she asked: "Souls?"<br/>Rehgar shook his head, but also gave her a shrug.</p><p>"No… Some void magic." Rehgar let out an irritated growl; the more he thought of this Old God infested situation, the more resentful the shaman became. "N'Zoth will not stop from reaching the Forge, even if his cultists succeed in bringing down the veil. With his presence on Azeroth, the Forge can be used to eradicate all life in the world, allowing it to start anew. It was the sole reason the Titan built it."<br/>"So, the Forge is our last resource then; our only way to still save this world if... We fail." Lamented Tieria, the thought of sacrificing herself, her home and her loved ones to free Azeroth from the Old God's grasp brought sorrow in her heart, but also she was aware this is an action she would not hesitate to do.</p><p>"To answer your second question, young Zandalari." Continued King Phaoris. One would wonder how old King Phaoris must be, if he addresses Haliki, a troll in his mid-age, as '<em>young'</em>. "The insectoid minions initially were surfacing from the depths of the earth. However, as the Corruptor strengthens, and with the veil weakening, we believe that he succeeded in creating a small gateway for more of the Black Empire servants to cross into Azeroth."<br/>"Creating a gateway means there must be a conjurer on this side of the veil keeping it open." Stated Wrathion while stroking his goatee, his glare fixated on the map.<br/>"Precisely." Affirmed the Tol'vir leader.</p><p>"Time is of the essence." Sighed Lorga, her eyes were fixated on Wrathion, forcing the dragon to recall their conversation from earlier today. "We must locate that gateway, enter Ny'alotha as we planned and put an end to this, with or without the Forge of Wills!"<br/>"Without the Forge of Wills?" Repeated Speaker Magni confused. His crystal eyes blinked at the Farseer as he waved with his arms: "The Forge of Wills has been activated days ago! M.O.T.H.E.R is generating its essence into the Forge of Heart as we speak!"</p><p>Wrathion, and the companions who were present in Storm Peaks during the dawn of the journey, widened their eyes as they exchanged shocked glances. There was no information or word from Calthaire and the Blacktalon agents, who remained in Storm Peaks to carry on with the mission to activate the Forge of Wills, while Farseer Lorga led Wrathion's champions to rescue the captured Black Prince.<br/>Upon arriving in the Ebon Rest, Wrathion swiftly sent word for Calthaire, pleading for an update. But so far, given the fact that the Blacktalon night elf was at the edge of the world, there was no response yet. However, hearing Magni declaring that the Forge of Will, the ancient titan mechanism which infuses Azeroth with cosmic energies, has been activated - could mean only one thing.</p><p>"Calthaire and the others have succeeded!" Exclaimed Tieria cheerfully. She smiled brightly, unwilling to keep in her enthusiasm.<br/>With the Twin Forges activated, the Titanic watcher M.O.T.H.E.R was preparing the weapon which would be able to physically harm N'Zoth, and hopefully end the Old God's reign once and for all.<br/>Tieria turned to Wrathion, her smile remaining on her lips caused the dragon to release a small grin as well, relieved and even <em>proud</em>, to hear that his agents have succeeded in their task. Deep within his heart, the dragon hoped that they did not pay a great price, and wished for their safe return.<br/>"So," Felassan broke the moment of victory, he glanced around at his comrades. His question echoed more as a fact rather than inquiry: "This is it? We are launching our assault?"</p><p>Albeit nobody answered, the determination suddenly painted on everyone's faces was a clear giveaway. Lorga lifted her head to Rehgar, he once again wrapped his arm her waist; they exchanged a short look, as if mentally telling each other that they were ready to charge into the Corruptor's domain.<br/>Everyone exchanged glances between each other, wondering if there was at least one soul who was hesitant in proceeding with this assault. However, that did not seem to be the case; <em>everyone </em>nodded with confidence. The face of Speaker Magni was lighting up upon witnessing so many champions of Azeroth willing to fight for her.</p><p>Tieria finally turned to Wrathion, the dragon had his eyes fixated on the sand version of Uldum as he stepped closer to the unusual table. His dark, and yet determined gaze gripped Tieria's heart in both concern and admiration. The templar <em>felt </em>that Wrathion was preparing to give his everything to put an end to this.</p><p>
  <em>"It grows hungrier... Bolder... Alas, your eyes are closed."</em>
</p><p>Tieria inhaled sharply and blinked rapidly. Slowly, she turned her head around, examining what or who might have caused the unclear sound which rang in her ears. As she failed to locate it, she turned back to focus on the Wrathion, who extended his hand, pointing northwest of the sand sculpted map.<br/>"The attack began in the Obelisk of the Moon." Wrathion repeated the Tol'vir leader's sentence from before. "That must be the source. The gateway must be here." The Black Prince removed his gaze, he addressed everyone, but he had his eyes locked into Tieria's.<br/>"While M.O.T.H.E.R generates the Forge of Heart, we will clear the path to the Obelisk of the Moon and locate the gate. Once it is secured: We charge into Ny'alotha."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Cutlass</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The skies of Uldum flared again. The tall citadel and obelisks of the Black Empire dawned before the ancient desert. The sun was black, the air was hot, thunder was echoing albeit it was not seen.</p><p>The nefarious shadow of Ny'alotha crept on the golden sands of Uldum; it made Rokash inhale sharply, he felt too afraid to even release air at the duration of time the Sleeping City was groveling above him. As if his own breath would betray him to the Corruptor. The orc simply stood frozen in place, sweat dripping down from his forehead and his eyes blinking agitatedly.</p><p>Then - in a fraction of a second - Ny'alotha vanished from the sky, and Rokash released a long and heavy breath. The apparition may be gone, but solely for a brief period. It was only a matter of time before it would materialize itself over the sun once more.</p><p>And it was only a matter of time, until the Black Empire would fully anchor itself on Azeroth.</p><p>Rokash was not an esteemed shaman like his parents, but even he felt the veil weakening, the spirits trembling in fear, and the elements' hesitation. The situation continued to aggravate, no matter how hard Nazgrel and the other were pushing back the Black Empire's assault. The aqir swarm was relentless, and so were the cultists who led them.<br/>Granting, Rokash was not battling on the front lines, the young shaman was still able to witness the damage the Corruptor's minions were inflicting upon this land from the healing encampment he was stationed at.</p><p>Every hour, the forces of the Horde brought more and more injured soldiers to Rokash and other druids and shamans responsible for healing. Some warriors had severe wounds, but treatable; others came to briefly rest and resupply, before once again leap on the sand battlefield; and then, there were those who were carried here to be able to have their final breaths in somewhat comfort.</p><p>The healing encampment was situated on the outskirts of the city Ramkahen, next to the Vir'naal River. The vegetation which grew alongside the water created a serene atmosphere, and the palm trees provided shade from the scorching sun. Nonetheless, the Cenarion Circle and the Earthen Ring have still made use of open tents, to categorize the injured and guide them to the appropriate 'wing of the infirmary' hinging on the degree of their wounds.</p><p>Now it was another hot day in Uldum, and the sun was about to begin its descent.</p><p>Rokash surveyed the healing encampment. His yellow eyes gazed around each tent, as he wiped his wet hands with a linen cloth.<br/>All those who came here for aid have been healed; soldiers of the Horde and Ramkahen were resting how they saw fit, shamans and druids ensured food, water and bandages were in stock. For now, the young orc allowed himself to catch a breath, if only for a brief moment. He knew another wave of injured souls would arrive at any moment.</p><p>Rokash returned in the open tent fashioned to be the private area of the members of the Earthen Ring and the Cenarion Circle, and occasionally the tent served as a meeting for battle strategy, whenever Nazgrel would return.<br/>The young shaman tossed the piece of linen cloth on the modest wooden chair, and leaned down to reach out to the flask of water which laid inside his satchel. But his thirst unexpectedly sated upon laying his eyes on the female orc figure, who suddenly stood before him.</p><p>She was a tall muscular orc, dressed in mail armor decorated with heavy spikes, and two axes were seen sheathed on both sides of her hips. Her hair was of the same velvet color as his', however it was twice his length, and it was stylized in a half-ponytail hairdo. There was a faint smile on her slightly wrinkled face, which was covered in white warpaint.<br/>Upon their eyes locking into one another, her smile deepened and her honey-colored eyes glinted with elation.</p><p>"Mother!" Exclaimed Rokash; he approached her with heavy steps. Any negative feeling he felt swiftly vanished away upon the sight of his mother, who he had not seen in many weeks.</p><p>Lorga opened her arms widely, letting Rokash enter in her warm embrace. Her boy was much taller than her, forcing Lorga to stand on her toes as she reached to hug his neck.<br/>She smiled warmly at the feeling of her son's hands on her back. The hug, despite its short duration, warmed Lorga's heart. As they pulled away, she kept her hands on his biceps and gazed at Rokash with great affection, for she dearly missed her boy.</p><p>"This is it, isn't it?" Surmised Rokash rhetorically, for Lorga's presence in Uldum could mean only one thing: "You are about to face him."<br/>The Farseer remained mute, replying to his question with only a silent nod. Then, she reached out to place her palms upon Rokash's cheeks. She was so delighted to see her son, that the shaman prevailed to ignore the grim atmosphere for a brief moment.</p><p>"Let me fight alongside you and father." Pleaded Rokash, his expression painted with determination. To hear those words from her son, spoken like a true orc - eager to fight like a true warrior - deepened Lorga's smile and warmed her heart with pride. And yet, the Farseer gave an unlike response:<br/>"You are needed here, pup." Declared Lorga softly. She may be proud of Rokash's will to fight for this world, but in the end - she did not want her only child to walk in the realm of the Old God.</p><p>She saw a flicker of disappointment in Rokash's eyes; and the young orc remained silent at first. Lorga retrieved her hands, watching as Rokash was formulating a response.<br/>"Am I to let you and father finish this battle by yourselves?" Grunted her boy. His dark red brows snapped together upon the sudden thoughtful expression appearing on his mother's face.<br/>"Something tells me that this is not going to be our final battle…" Murmured Lorga, her eyes staring emptily at the sky, waiting for it to once again craft the façade of the Black Empire.</p><p>Rokash's gaze lingered on his mother. The way she breathed that particular sentence, the unusual grimmer in her eyes and her pensive expression, made him realize that she most likely had a vision related to the upcoming event.<br/>He was one of the few who knew of his mother's gift; shamans who had a strong connection with the spirits, had the exceptional ability to foresee certain actions from the future. Albeit, Lorga often warned him and his father, that her visions can sometimes express only the half-truth or occur decades later - they have <em>always</em> transpired.</p><p>Rokash stood silently, eagerly waiting for his mother to add more to her sentence, but the Farseer remained silent. She tore her eyes away from the sky to look once again at him; the moment their eyes met she gave him another smile.</p><p>Since he was a little boy, Rokash knew that Lorga could not be easily convinced to share her thoughts on certain matters - if she was reluctant to speak of her vision - nobody could force her to spur it out.<br/>Given her sudden silence, it seemed this was one of those moments in which she desired to keep her view to herself.</p><p>"And something tells <em>me</em>, you are not going to share what is causing you this feeling." Speculated Rokash in a chuckle. Lorga's grin grew larger and she shook her head.<br/>"All I can say that we will be back, and you yet may have a chance to slay some Black Empire minions yourself." Replied the Farseer with a blank face.</p><p>Rokash was disappointed, but deep down he knew he would receive such an answer. While grunting lightly, he lifted his hands to rest them on her muscular arms.<br/>"It may not be the final one," Began Rokash. "But you are still about to leave for battle, aren't you?" He asked while his eyes analyzed her up and down to examine her armor and sharp weapons, which to him was a sign of readiness.<br/>"Yes." Lorga replied simply, once again reaching out to caress her son's cheeks. "As soon as everyone is done with the preparations."</p><hr/><p>"Dynamites?" Tieria's eyes widened as the Ramkahen blacksmith placed a barrel of explosives before her.<br/>"It is the aqir's greatest weakness." Explained the black-furred Tol'vir. "Their shells and exoskeletons are fragile to explosive fire. Do not hesitate to use them."<br/>Tieria pressed her lips thinly, her eyebrows snapped together as a particular thought crossed her mind.<br/>"We're about to battle in an underground temple." Stated the paladin. "I highly doubt using explosives in there would be… <em>Wise</em>. Besides, wouldn't you want to avoid harming your own construction? King Phaoris said the temple is quite ancient."</p><p>The blacksmith's nostrils flared, as he let out an empty chuckle; then he shook his head and walked back towards the arsenal which rested inside the smiting house.</p><p>"The temple underneath the Obelisk of the Moon, once served as a chamber which held one of the devices that allowed the land of Uldum to be masked from the outside world." The Tol'vir blacksmith pursued to place five more barrels filled with dynamites before Tieria. "Ever since Uldum has been revealed after the events of the Cataclysm, the Chamber of the Moon is a mere cavity. If putting a stop to the Black Empire threat means to bury that place underneath the sand - so be it."<br/>"Well…" Exhaled Tieria and gave the Tol'vir a smile. "Let us avoid burying this temple with us in it."<br/>She looked up at the feline creature, hoping he would return her the smile, but the blacksmith's expression remained stone, making Tieria wipe away her grin and awkwardly chew on her bottom lip.</p><p>In the dawn of the battle at the Obelisk of the Moon, while Wrathion alongside King Phaoris and Speaker Magni were preparing the assault itself, the Black Prince's champions were ensuring they had all the resources necessary for this battle, which will most likely end with them charging into the realm of Ny'alotha.<br/>While most of her comrades were either rounding up the Ramkahen and Horde soldiers, preparing the mounts or discussing strategies, Tieria found herself reaching out one of the blacksmith of the Ramkahen city, pleading for any weapons they could put to use against the relentless k'thir and their allies.</p><p>"Your blade." Addressed the blacksmith, gesturing his hand to Tieria's silver longsword which was attached to her back. "The thorium is old, and doomed to break at any moment."<br/>Tieria blinked surprised at the blacksmith's keen eye. Her sword was old indeed, but it was well polished and taken care of. The blade was made out of fine enchanted thorium mined from the caverns of Eastern Plaguelands. Its fuller and rain guard was made out of gold, and the hilt was wrapped in thick black leather. A sphere polished amethyst lied in the centre of the golden pommel.<br/>"Here." The Ramkahen blacksmith pulled an obsidian longsword from the sword rack next to him, which was reasonable to Tieria's size, and extended it to her. "Take this. It is made of obsidian, it is sharp enough to cut through thickest marble."</p><p>Tieria glanced at the black blade which had a beautiful hilt, made of reflective metal and had the pyramid-symbol of the Ramkahen tribe sculpted in the middle of the rain guard. Then she pressed her lips together and shook her head slowly towards the blacksmith.</p><p>"I am grateful but… I cannot accept it." Proclaimed the templar politely; she gave a warm smile to the Tol'vir. He lowered the weapon, his green eyes flashing in puzzlement. Upon noticing his confusion, Tieria has settled to give an explanation: "My sword is one of the last weapons my father has crafted before his retirement. The sentimental value it has to me, gives me the power to cut through the thickest marble despite the age of the blade." She concluded her words with a chuckle.<br/>"An honorable reason to refuse my weapon." Declared the blacksmith firmly, and slipped the obsidian sword back on the weapon rack.</p><p>Then he pursued to look around his crafted armor and weapons, wondering what else he could lend to the warriors who were about to charge into the location which the Black Empire attack emerged from.<br/>"A daughter of a blacksmith." Began the Tol'vir smithy while opening a chest filled cannonballs and surveying it. "Then you must know much of the craftsmanship."<br/>"Not much." Tieria confessed in a half-smile. "My father had an assistant who aided him with his profession, he did not want a child to be around the forge too much." She released a giggle and added: "However, he did let me pick out the gems he would decorate the hilt and scabbard with."</p><p>The Ramkahen blacksmith briefly paused from what he was doing to give a smirk, as he found himself amused by Tieria's tale. Then he turned his attention over the cannon which was covered by a dusty cloth. In a single maneuver, he pulled away the old fabric, revealing the large, heavy piece of artillery made out of bronze. As he was about to roll the weapon towards the paladin, Tieria took a step forward.</p><p>"I-I think the dynamites are enough!" Commanded Tieria timidly. "Our mounts will not be able to carry this." She said while gesturing at the cannon.<br/>The blacksmith gave her a disappointed look, but he shrugged in a '<em>as you wish' </em>manner and proceeded to pick the old cloth to cover the cannon back as it was before.</p><p>Tieria released a small sigh in relief; she truly thought carrying a cannon to this battle would be excessive. Their magic and weapons, and even these dynamites would be sufficient to bring down the Corruptor's minions. She hoped, at least.<br/>As the templar was about to carry one of the barrels outside, she felt a sudden presence behind her. She turned to find Niall, Maxwell's new recruit, standing right behind her.</p><p>"Oh!" Tieria exclaimed, taken by surprise by the young paladin's sudden appearance, as she did not hear any footsteps. She blinked at the Silver Hand paladin, waiting for an explanation for his sudden presence, which he immediately delivered, while displaying a shy smile on his lips.<br/>"Lord Maxwell sent me here to see if you require help with the preparations." Elaborated the light-blonde human. Tieria smiled at him, then she glanced down at the six barrels of dynamites which were sitting next to her foot, arranged in a semi-circle.</p><p>"You can carry some of these barrels to the mounts." Suggested Tieria. Niall gave her a nod, then proceeded to pick up the barrel closest to him. "Thank you-" She halted to bite her lip; then Tieria gave a shy smile as she humbly confessed: "I have forgotten your name."<br/>"Niall, my Lady." He replied politely, his cheeks flushing pink at Tieria's smile.<br/>"Thank you, Niall." She repeated her sentence again, this time succeeding in concluding it.</p><p>Niall proceeded to exit the armory whilst carrying one of the dynamite barrels. Tieria watched the young paladin leaving the building, then she turned her gaze once again at the Tol'vir blacksmith.<br/>"Win this." Said the blacksmith adamantly upon their eyes locking to each other.</p><p>Tieria inhaled sharply, somehow by hearing those words from that Tol'vir, she just now realized that she was about to step into Ny'alotha and fight N'Zoth. Of course, there was still the matter of finding the gateway first; nonetheless - as soon as the entrance is located, Wrathion and the rest will make no hesitation to pass through it, and Tieria would be charging alongside her comrades into the Corruptor's domain.</p><p>It was an overwhelming thought, which increased Tieria's heartbeat. She did not know what to anticipate; starting from the environment of the Black Empire, to its minions and finally, the Old God himself. Due to the fast chain of events, Wrathion had not found the time to share to Tieria the knowledge he possessed of this realm, hence Tieria would have to charge in blindly.</p><p>And yet, that was not her main concern. The templar's biggest concern was her dragon lover, who was N'Zoth's main desire to corrupt and turn against Azeroth. Wrathion may have proven to be extremely resilient to the whispers of the Old God so far; but nobody can ensure the dragon is safe once he's in the realm of the Black Empire, where N'Zoth's words are not mere whispers, but horrific preaches.</p><p>Tieria was uncertain what action she would take should that happen. Should she try and make a corrupted-Wrathion see reason, or should she simply put him out of his misery? That thought made the templar want to tear her hair out; she cursed at the fact that time was of the essence, and she and Wrathion could not have a deep conversation regarding that '<em>what if"</em>.</p><p>She inhaled deeply, telling herself she's overthinking. At this moment, all those thoughts were futile while the gateway to Ny'alotha was concealed.<br/>The templar breathed out, bringing herself to reality, and then gave a salute-like nod to the blacksmith, thanking him once again for the supplies. Afterwards, Tieria picked up a barrel filled with dynamites and carried on to rejoin her group.</p><hr/><p>"M.O.T.H.E.R should be able ta' locate ye once ye're behind the veil." Magni told Wrathion. The Diamond King watched as the dragon was surveying the area through a spyglass, analyzing the swarm of Black Empire minions which were gathered in the northwest, where the attack originated from. "She'll let ye know the moment she has the Forge ready."<br/>"And we'll let her know when we have the Corruptor in our sights." Added the Black Prince while ceasing from looking through the spyglass, although his gaze remained towards the tall pillar in the distance, which was known as the Obelisk of the Moon.</p><p>The battle was about to dawn; and Wrathion felt most rapturous to finally have the opportunity to bring the final living Old God down. Long has the black dragon waited for the moment to put a stop to the Black Empire, and bring his kin into a new era. An era of redemption.</p><p>Preparation seemed to have been completed. While Magni breathed to Wrathion some final details of his strategy, and gave whatever advice the dwarf knew of the Old God realm, the dragon examined the gathering of his champions and Blacktalon.<br/>Mounts were stocked with necessary supplies, everyone was covered in armor from head to toes, and had their weapons sharpened. Now they simply waited for Wrathion's command to charge into battle.</p><p>The dragon's crimson eyes fixated on Caradin waving his arms around a barrel of explosives. The dwarf shouted something and gestured to Felassan to approach him. Apparently, Caradin has devised a set of straps around those barrels using leather leashes, allowing one to wear the crate of explosives like a backpack.<br/>Felassan proceeded to strap one on, as per Caradin's command; then the dwarf gestured for agent Cullen and another of Wrathion's Blacktalon to pick up a barrel.</p><p>"I'll see you on the other side, Magni." Concluded Wrathion; he looked down and gave a smile to the Speaker, which the crystal dwarf promptly returned.<br/>"I have no doubts ye'll succeed, lad." Proclaimed the Diamond King. Then he watched as Wrathion walked towards his group, signaling that they were about to depart for battle.</p><p>Tieria exchanged a short glance with Wrathion, which included a small smile. The paladin had to admit she felt slightly disappointed at the fact that she was unable to have the occasion of sharing affection with the dragon before the battle; but moments of significant converses followed by passionate kisses only happened in stories - the reality was much more harsher.</p><p>As Wrathion awaited for everyone to be ready to take off to the temple, Tieria was tightening the saddle of the hippogryph she was about to ride. Suddenly, her attention went over to Niall; the young recruit, with fair blonde hair, its length stopping to his chin and bright green eyes, was given a barrel of explosives to carry. He politely followed Caradin's order, despite Tieria noticing his body tensing once the barrel rested on his back.</p><p>Tieria released a small sigh; this boy was barely of age, and yet somehow he wound up charging into a war against an Old God. The templar took her mount by the reins and guided it until she stood side by side with Maxwell. The Silver Hand champion was arranging a satchel of potions on his gryphon mount, and he gave Tieria a nod of greeting upon seeing the paladin.</p><p>"It may not be in my position to ask…" Began Tieria in a heavy, hesitant tone. Her brown eyes directed at Niall, who stood further across the two paladins. "But why did you bring him here? He's young; too young to fight such a horrific battle." She sighed as she roamed Niall's unblemished ivory face. "He looks like he has barely come of age."<br/>"That's because he did." Informed Maxwell. His expression was grim, and his visible eye indicated sadness - as if he indeed regretted his choice. "He insisted on joining; he wants to fight, prove himself he's already a true paladin."</p><p>Tieria merely scoffed, unconvinced by Maxwell's response, but the Silver Hand knight ignored her and continued:<br/>"Besides, he has been training since he was twelve, and now he has passed the rite and has ascended to a knight." Maxwell declared in a tone sounding like a conclusion to his sentence. "If he does emerge victorious from this - he'll immediately become a high paladin." He glanced down at Tieria, whose gaze lingered upon Niall.</p><p>"He seems like a good lad. He reminds me of a boy I used to be infatuated with when I was an adolescent." Tieria said in a small giggle, but then her smile swiftly vanished away and she lifted her eyes at Maxwell. "Don't let him die. And don't you die either… I may no longer be a knight of the Silver Hand, but that does not mean I want your kind to fall, especially to an Old God."<br/>Maxwell released a small chuckle, and reached out to pat Tieria's shoulder.<br/>"The Light is on our side - we won't fail, Tieria." Recited the Silver Hand knight.</p><p>Before Tieria could add anything else to their conversation, the sound of battlehorn abruptly interrupted everybody. Every soul turned at Farseer Lorga, the one who held the horn in her hands. The orc apparently has executed it upon Wrathion's command, as the dragon stood next to the Farseer; and the moment he had everybody's attention, the dragon shouted with all his mighty voice:<br/>"We leave for battle!"</p><hr/><p>Upon reaching the grounds where the Obelisk of the Moon stood upon, Wrathion saw raids N'Zoth's minions swarming the territory. He did not take time in surveying the area for too long; the black dragon inhaled deeply, feeling his throat warming up as his nostrils began flaring out smoke.<br/>Flames began descending upon the terrace, the large aqirs were instantly incinerated, and those who succeeded in escaping, were rushing to enter the large doorway which led to the underground temple, to shelter themselves from the rain of fire.</p><p>Some small, flying insectoids succeeded to dodge Wrathion's blazing attack, and took to the skies either escape this sudden assault or to retaliate. Whichever was their choice - it was met by a tragic end, as the mounted archers shot most of them down. Sadly, some of the flying abominations succeeded in taking some Blacktalon or Horde rangers with them during their calamitous downfall.</p><p>As Wrathion began his descent, the rest followed while picking up their arms or readying a spell, for the moment their mounts would lay foot upon the covered-sand brick ground - they would dispose of the rest aqir and cultists.</p><p>Farseer Lorga was the one who drew the "first blood"; the mighty shaman channeled a chain of lighting which succeeded in striking down at least three large aqir. She smiled triumphantly while watching the insectoid fiends screeching as they suffered the wrath of the thunder. It seemed the elements were still by her side.<br/>Tieria, alongside Caradin and Felassan charged to secure the entrance of the underground temple, with Maxwell, Niall and Vindicator Aesom following right behind them.</p><p>Maxwell blasted a wave of the Light towards the two warriors who stood guards at the entrance, blinding them. With one powerful strike, Tieria pierced her longsword into the stomach of one of the armored cultists, the troll's red blood splattered across her armor and face, which made her spit on the ground; Felassan took care of the other one, who was a tauren and had his neck slit by the demon hunter's warglaive.</p><p>Wrathion confidently charged towards the entrance once it was secured. He leaped through the brick gateway, whilst changing once again into his mortal form and landed on the marble floor of the underground temple, deep underneath Uldum.<br/>The rest followed behind him, stopping only a couple of inches away from the Black Prince to survey where they were.</p><p>The temple was large, the hallway extended for as far as the eye could see, and it expanded in four wings. The temple, as per King Phaoris words, was ancient; and perhaps beautiful in its prime time. However, now it was utterly unpleasant.</p><p>The stones of the floor were dusty and cracked in various places. The bricks and the blue marble which covered the walls have also seen better days. However, those were not the worst attributes of the temple.<br/>Through the deep hallway, clusters of large orange eggs covered in some unknown, thick and white substance were spread everywhere one would look. Movements were seen in some of the eggs; some of them would be faintly trembling, indicating that there was something alive in it, others were already breaking apart, with a grey, slimy larva coming out of it, leaving a disgusting green liquid trail everywhere it would drag its on.</p><p>"Aqir eggs…" Exhaled Farseer Lorga in disgust. She tossed her axe down towards a larva which approached her, it released an inhuman screech as it bled out. The orc grunted sickened, then shook her head as she continued: "This is not just the place from which the attacks originated from… This is their main garrison, where they breed these things."</p><p>"The more reason for the gateway to be here." Declared Wrathion, his strong voice echoing within the large hall was most likely attracting more foes to charge into their direction. The dragon turned to agent Cullen and the rest of his Blacktalon and gave out the following command: "Spread out, destroy all of these egg nests and any cultist you spot your eyes upon." Then the Black Prince fixated his eyes upon his champions: Tieria, Felassan, Caradin, Haliki, Lorga, Rehgar, Maxwell and Niall, as he said: "The rest of you - together with me. We're searching for our entrance into Ny'alotha."</p><p>Just as predicted, Wrathion's commanding voice alerted the cultists of the champions presence. Before anyone could carry on the Black Prince's command, five heavily armored warriors and two k'thir casters were running towards the group. Of course, the Black Empire minions were outnumbered, but they fought hard before they were brought down by Lorga's and Rehgar's elemental magic, with Haliki delivering the final blow by searing a blast of moonfire down onto them.</p><p>"We don't know how many of them are in here." Breathed Wrathion between his teeth while glancing down at the deceased cultists. The pool of their blood was extending itself upon the stone ground, already succeeding in dampening the tip of his boots. "Be prepared for anything."<br/>The Blacktalon spread in a group of three or four throughout the wings of the temple, while Wrathion led his charge towards the depths of the main hall.</p><hr/><p>It was Felassan and Rehgar who walked in front of everyone, bringing down every cultist in their sight. The minions of N'Zoth were certainly taken by surprise by this attack, hence they had little time to prepare a solid defense. It was also the fact that most of their forces were fighting on the surface of the desert, leaving what seemed to be their 'barracks<em>' </em>undefended.</p><p>Wrathion's blasts of fire, Tieria's sears of Light, Lorga's thunder strikes, Caradin's longaxe slamming on every side - the champions were relentless as they carved a path through the chambers, searching for the gateway to enter the Sleeping City. Along the way, Haliki took care of destroying the clusters of eggs with his druidic skills.</p><p>It was uncertain how much time had passed or how many cultists the Black Prince and his champions had slain, but by the time they had located a ritual chamber, everybody was drenched in cultist blood and their weapons were stained in aqir slime.<br/>Naturally, it was in the deepest chamber of the temple, that the gateway was situated. The room was covered in the same stone and had the identical marble floor; large pillars covered in blue stone held the high ceiling. Finally, a small platform was located in the middle of the room, upon which stood the gate to Ny'alotha.</p><p>The portal itself was round, with the blurred image of the Sleeping City glimmering. Two arched black pillars, inscribed with red runes, were stationed on each side, soaking the energy which granted the opening to the realm of the Old God.<br/>Before the gateway stood the conjurer responsible for this portal. One of his arms was extended towards it, and a wave of void magic was swirling from his hand towards the portal.</p><p>The conjurer was a tall human, dressed in an oversized grey robe, with pauldrons, gloves and a large waistband made out of black plate. An iron staff was strapped to his back, with unworldly tentacles swirling from the top of it. Through his dark hood, black hair was seen; he had little, unkempt facial hair above his upper lip and a short goatee. His pale skin was dry and his lips were chapped. It was clear that this man cared little for his appearance.</p><p>He turned to face Wrathion and the rest the moment they entered the chamber, as if he was expecting them. His icy blue eyes glared at the Black Prince and he gave the dragon a grin, revealing his yellowed teeth.<br/>"The Deep One foretold of your coming, son of Neltharion!" Shouted the conjurer, and opened his arms widely, as if he was greeting Wrathion. "And I shall be the one to deliver you to Him!"<br/>"Spare us the sound of your ugly voice." Gritted Wrathion while tightening the sword in his hand.</p><p>The conjurer was most displeased with the dragon's response. His grin vanished and his face twisted; he brought his gloved hands closer to each other, inhaling deeply as void magic once again forming at the tip of his fingers. Lorga and Rehgar immediately began channeling a chain of thunder in order to interrupt whatever foul magic the conjurer intended on unleashing upon them, but the orcs were too late.</p><p>The human opened his arms widely again, as if he tore a thick piece of leather in two halves; his void magic created a massive explosion, causing the chamber to quake powerful and push everybody off their feet.<br/>Maxwell swiftly pulled himself up, and so did Tieria, albeit she still remained on her knees. Both paladins called to the Light, forming a bright shield before the entire group.</p><p>Small sparks of void lingered around the room after the explosion. Gradually, the flickers of void began soaring into one; as soon as the last sparkle merged the mass of void, it took the shape of a large silhouette. Then, before their eyes, that silhouette materialized itself into a large n'raqi. The faceless one growled tauntingly before the Black Prince, the purple tentacles from its face swirled in agitation.</p><p>As if the colossal n'raqi wasn't enough, Wrathion's ears twitched as he heard more below echoing from the depths of the main hall. Footsteps and insects screeching grew louder, the Black Prince inhaled sharply in irritation as he realized reinforcements were coming, and soon enough the group would be surrounded from both sides.</p><p>"Handle the n'raqi." Commanded Felassan, then the demon hunter gestured with his head towards Caradin and Haliki. "We'll stop those from the corridor."<br/>"Niall." Addressed Maxwell to his recruit. But the young paladin did not react, his gaze lingered on N'Zoth's warlock. "Niall!" Called out Lord Tyrosus again, this time accomplishing to have Niall's attention on him. "Go with them!"<br/>Niall saluted his superior, and ran alongside Felassan and the rest who were about to fight the upcoming reinforcements.</p><p>The faceless one lifted its massive tentacle arm, attempting to bring down Tieria's and Maxwell's shield of Light. It growled as it continued to clobber the shield with his arm.<br/>Sweat began dripping off from both of the paladins; they did not relent to keep up the shield.</p><p>"Bring down the barrier!" Commanded Rehgar in a wolf-like growl as magma fire began forming in both of his arms. "Dragon! Get the warlock!"<br/>Wrathion gave nod to Rehgar, then signaled to Tieria to cease her shield. The templar immediately carried out the dragon command; both she and Maxwell discontinued the protective magic, letting the Light dim away from the chamber. At that very moment, upon witnessing the shield fading away, the hulking n'raqi attempted to slam down its arm towards the paladins. Tieria and Maxwell leaped to the sides, dodging its attack.</p><p>Rehgar blasted magma fire into the orange glowing eyes of the n'raqi, blinding the fiend. Lorga called once again to the thunder, readying herself to shock the beast with the lighting. Maxwell ensured the creature's attention was unto him as he parried and dodged each of its tentacle slamming, and even the void spells it casted down. And Tieria called out to the Light once again, she opened her palm and slammed it on the floor, making the cracks of the ground lit with golden light and burning into the foot of the n'raqi, causing it to collapse on its knees.<br/>The creature might be known as unstoppable juggernauts, but it was being outnumbered by the Black Prince's champions.</p><p>As the shamans and the paladins were fighting the faceless one, Wrathion charged towards the warlock, preparing to slash him with his blade. The human cultist reacted swiftly to the Black Prince's assault, and parried the dragon's sword with the staff. His face contorted as he glared at Wrathion, their weapons trembling against one another.<br/>While keeping one hand on his staff, the warlock extended his free palm towards Wrathion, summoning a spell of a void. The dragon dodged the flying magic by crouching down, and as he attempted to plunge his sword into the human - he once again blocked it with his staff.</p><p>The dragon and the warlock continued to duel relentlessly; the cultist possessed quite an impressive skill in swordsmanship. In that time Felassan, Caradin, Haliki and Niall fought back the swarm of k'thir and small aqir which were flocking to the conjurer's defense.<br/>The colossal n'raqi did not allow itself to be taken down too easily. Even as it remained on its knees, being burnt by Tieria's consecrated ground, and its eyes stinging from Rehgar's magma fire, the n'raqi casted bolts of void fire in every direction, attempting to hit its foes.</p><p>"We're wasting time!" Yelled out Rehgar. The gladiator orc breathed heavily, becoming tired of the long battle. "We need to enter through the portal!" He leaped to the side, dodging another attack from the n'raqi, which brought him closer to Lorga.<br/>"If we pass through the gate now, we'll bring this swarm with us and be overrun!" Replied his mate while forming a ball of magma in-between her palms. She briefly glanced at Wrathion, who was still clashing with the conjurer, then looked again at Rehgar. "The warlock is the key. He created this portal - he must be in charge of this garrison! With him dead, these fiends might scatter!"</p><p>The both orcs suddenly tore away their gaze from each other upon hearing a male scream. They turned to witnessing the conjurer screaming as his shoulder was burning most likely from Wrathion's fire. The human fell on his knees, reaching out to his searing shoulder.<br/>"Looks like we're about to get our key." Sneered Rehgar arrogantly, to which Lorga replied with a smirk.</p><p>"Farseer!" Tieria cried out. Lorga turned to the direction she heard the paladin's voice coming from, only to have her eyes widen. In the short time that she and Rehgar exchanged words, Tieria and Maxwell prevailed in chaining the n'raqi with golden shackles. The faceless one growled as it attempted to free itself of the chains of the Light which were most likely burning its flesh.</p><p>"Finish it!" Begged Tieria, while trying to keep her ground; however, enraged by its upcoming defeat, the n'raqi swung its body until Tieria lost the grip of the chain, and slammed the paladin into the wall. She cried in pain as she bashed to the side and collapsed on the ground.<br/>"Tieria!" Gasped Maxwell worried and alarmed at the fact that he now had to keep the n'raqi in chains by himself. The Silver Hand champion pulled the shackles harder, unwilling to give up just yet.</p><p>Upon hearing her cry and Maxwell calling out for her, Wrathion's attention turned to Tieria, who now was pushing herself to get back on her feet. In that brief second that he glanced worriedly at the templar, the conjurer - who was still on his knees, anguishing over his burning wound - took the opportunity and hit Wrathion's ankles with his staff, making the dragon lose his balance and fall.<br/>The warlock was reaching out to a pocket inside the upper part of his robe, while simultaneously lifting himself over the Black Prince. He grinned as he thought he got the upper hand, and was preparing to deliver his final blow; and yet - he reacted too late - as Wrathion struck his blade in the center of his chest.</p><p>The warlock fell on his knees again; blood was dripping down from his lips and he reached out to clench the wound of his chest. He lifted his pale-blue eyes to the Black Prince, his bloodied lips curled in disgust as their eyes met. The black dragon stood inches away from him, gripping his sword which still was pierced into his chest. At that moment, the servant of N'Zoth knew he would meet his end - Lorga was putting an end to the n'raqi by jumping on it and piercing her axe in its head; he continued to hear the cries of his aqir and k'thir fighting a losing battle within the corridor. Nevertheless, the conjurer would not die and leave his Master disappointed.</p><p>He was too weak to get up on his feet, hence he remained on his knees; he turned to the gateway from behind him and extended his right hand towards it. He summoned his last source of energy, letting himself be drained by his own magic.<br/>Dark violet essence swirled from his elbow to his palm, and flew towards the blur image of Ny'alotha, which was scintillating within the gateway. Once the magic passed through the portal, it shone in a bright white light. It illuminated the chamber so strongly, forcing everyone to halt and shield their eyes.</p><p>Once the blazing light ceased, Wrathion opened his eyes, only to find the portal to Ny'alotha vanished.</p><p>The Black Prince gritted his teeth after he shouted "<em>No!",</em> his glare directed itself towards the warlock; the conjurer had a dark grin on his lips, despite bleeding heavily on his knees. Fumed, Wrathion lifted his sword and slashed the warlock's neck without a second thought; blood spattered on the dragon's attire, but he was too angry to notice it. He continued to glare where the portal once stood, cursing the cultist inside his mind for succeeding to disrupt his plan.</p><p>With the n'raqi defeated, the conjurer down, and with the bright light blinding everyone present, the reinforcements fell back, hiding in the depths of the temple. It prompted Felassan and the rest to return to the chamber where the gateway was.<br/>Upon the sight of Tieria, weakly dragging herself towards everyone with a hunched back, Caradin and Haliki jumped to her aid, but the paladin waved them off, stating that she does not require help.</p><p>"He… He <em>destroyed </em>the portal…" Maxwell gasped in disbelief while breathing heavily.<br/>"The cultist somehow knew we intended on entering Ny'alotha." Analyzed Lorga, watching Wrathion still standing on the platform where the portal was and glancing down at the perished warlock.<br/>"This wretched soul defended his infernal master until his final breath." Growled Rehgar then spat on the ground in anger.</p><p>Wrathion remained frozen in his place, while the rest of the group gathered in a small circle to discuss their next step. The dragon's red eyes lingered upon the bleeding corpse of the conjurer.<br/>The breathless human laid on the puddle of his own red blood, his mouth hanging open and his eyes opened widely in a shocked expression. The heavy pauldrons he wore, stripped themselves from his shoulder most likely as soon as he collapsed on the floor. Nerves were still faintly reacting, causing his index finger to twitch; that movement caught Wrathion's eyes. He analyzed the hand which rested on the warlock's chest, the top part of his robe widely open, exposing his unnatural pale chest.</p><p>There was indescribable shine coming from an item which was lying next to his ribcage, it seemed to have been the object that the cultist desired to pull out to strike down Wrathion. He reached down to grab what revealed itself to be a dagger. The moment Wrathion's fingers wrapped themselves around the hilt of this dagger - he realized that this was not an ordinary blade.</p><p>It was a black curved cutlass, with uncyphered blue runes imprinted on the blade and a circled grip decorated with spikes. The metal it was made of was unknown; however it was undeniable that whatever was this material - it did not exist on Azeroth. In the middle of its quillion, a pale blue cat-eye resized, blinking ever so lightly.<br/>Wrathion was uncertain of his own thoughts, but the dragon believed he heard a faint voice coming from the cutlass.</p><p>"<em>Open your mind to the whispers…"</em></p><p>"There is still the matter of an entire temple covered in aqir eggs!" Maxwell's voice rang strongly in the hall, causing Wrathion to snap to reality and turn to glance at his group. Something in his mind ordered him to stash the dagger away; which he did by sheathing him inside his long coat, resting it on the left side of his waist.<br/>"The paladin is right." Asserted Rehgar while crossing his muscular arms. "We may have failed to enter Ny'alotha, but we can put a temporary stop to this assault, and live to fight another day. After all, this temple <em>is </em>their main source of producing those insectoids."</p><p>"The dynamites!" Exclaimed Caradin. The poor dwarf was covered up and down in blood and slime, but nevertheless his eyes shone with excitement as an idea dawned in his mind.<br/>"There are not enough of them to bring down the entire temple." Declared Lorga while shaking her head, to her surprise the dwarf nodded his head in agreement but pursued to speak in a confident tone:<br/>"Aye. But we can take down the main hall and block the entrance." His voice had a positive tone, excited regarding this concept; his thrilling attitude prompted the weakened Tieria to form a small smile on her lips. Lorga's expression also warmed up, silently mimicking that she too - was on board with this strategy</p><p>"We've got six barrels o' dynamites." Caradin began explaining his plan; he gestured on the large backpacks of dynamites he, Felassan and Niall carried. "Three here. Three carried by the Blacktalon. We can arrange four of them throughout the central hall, close to the openings which take ye to other rooms, and we station two barrels at the main entrance." The dwarf redirected his gaze towards Wrathion while addressing the dragon: "Yer agents must have cleared up some of the cultists by now, while we set up the explosives - we warn them to evacuate this bloody place."</p><p>Wrathion did not give a reply at first. All the eyes were on him, awaiting the leader of this operation to give his command; but the dragon remained silent, falling into his own thoughts.<br/>Their plan has failed - this was the truth one cannot simply ignore - and it made him bitter. But the dwarf had a good idea to turn this plan around, ensuring all this battle and spilled blood was not in vain.</p><p>"Do it." Commanded Wrathion, which prompted Caradin to release a grin. The dwarf clasped his hands together, rubbing them in an exhilarating way. He then eyed everyone as he said in a chuckle:<br/>"Let's dynamite this temple!"</p><hr/><p>In order to speed up their plan, Haliki took the shape of a pterodax to fly throughout the temple and warn the Blacktalon to evacuate the place, and those who carried the dynamites, to reunite with Caradin; in the meantime, Felassan and Niall, arranged the explosives, throughout the vast central hall - as Caradin ordered - with Tieria and Maxwell defending them, should any threat arise again.<br/>Wrathion and Caradin were already outside with Lorga and Rehgar, setting the explosive powder in a path from the entrance to the center of the terrace. The moment the setup would be complete - the two shamans will call to the fire elemental to detonate the temple.</p><p>Wrathion watched as his agents exited the temple; some of them were greatly injured, and required to be carried by their comrades, some did not have a single scratch on them. There were even some foolish aqir, which dared to chase after the Blacktalon, and met their tragic end of being killed by Rehgar the moment they passed through the entrance of the temple.</p><p>Caradin's strategy was conducted as planned; in a span of thirty to forty minutes, Tieria emerged with the others charged to plant the explosives; the six members ran towards Wrathion and the rest of the group, who were standing as far as possible from the temple, to ensure they would be safe from the explosion itself.<br/>Caradin still remained the entrance of the temple; the dwarf was arranging the dynamites strategically to provoke as much damage to the temple as possible. He couldn't care less of the ancient, historical construction - the dwarf simply wanted to witness the army of N'Zoth crumble to dust.</p><p>Once the preparations were finished, Caradin signaled to Lorga and Rehgar to lit up the blasting powder, by waving his arms while simultaneously beginning to run away from the entrance of the temple.<br/>Sadly, the orcs responded far too quickly to the sergeant's signal, and they launched their fire into the dynamites while Caradin was only a couple of miles away from the explosion itself.</p><p>A strong earthquake suddenly took place; the arch entrance of the Chamber of the Moon began collapsing from the impact of the explosion, boulders and pieces of marble scattered throughout the entire terrace, Caradin was thrown in the air. The dwarf shouted in dismay; Felassan leaped in the air, wings fleshing out of his back, and wrapped his muscled arms protectively around Caradin, pulling the dwarf in a safe grasp.<br/>Poor Caradin was still too shocked to realize what was happening, as he remained screaming in the demon hunter's arms.</p><p>Tieria sighed in relief while watching her two friends flying safely to rejoin the rest of the group. Then she fell on her knees, exhausted from the battle and relieved to witness the underground temple disintegrate into nothingness and along with it - the Black Empire's minions.</p><hr/><p>It was only when everyone landed on the stone ground of Ramkahen city, that Tieria realized that it was already nighttime. The blazing sun atop a bright blue canvas was gone; replaced by a sapphire sky drowned in the light of the stars, making the harsh desert of Uldum a little forgiving.</p><p>The group landed right at the bottom of the stairs which led to King Phaoris' pyramid. Upon seeing the Black Prince and his champions returning, the royal guards immediately left to inform their leader, but not before Wrathion stopping them and asking them to report the following message:<br/>"<em>We succeeded in bringing down the main operation of the cultists, but the gateway to Ny'alotha was lost."</em></p><p>Everyone stood, sighing tiringly; uncertain why or for what they were waiting right at the bottom of the pyramid. Lorga glanced around, watching the exhausted Blacktalon sitting on the ground, clenching their wounds. Then the orc rested her eyes upon Tieria and the other champions - all of them had color drained from their face. Finally, she turned to Wrathion, whose face was disturbed; his features were darkened and his crimson eyes blinked in distress, it seemed the dragon was lost in his own thoughts, most likely thinking of a new plan to enter Ny'alotha.<br/>The Farseer inhaled deeply, it seemed nobody, not even Wrathion, was breathing a single word, so she has elected to break this exhausting silence:</p><p>"Haliki." Addressed Lorga. The troll immediately directed to the Farseer upon hearing his name. "Let us take the heavy injured to the healing encampment." After the druid agreed to her words with a nod, Lorga gave order to the rest of Blacktalon: "Follow us if you have any wounds, some of you aid us in carrying your injured comrades. Those remaining - scatter around! Whatever is our next step, I assure you it will dawn tomorrow."</p><p>The Blacktalon sighed in relief upon the Farseer words, as per her order - some of the agents began aiding their injured allies in standing up, while some saluted Wrathion and left into the night streets of Ramkahen. Lorga and Haliki took their leave with agent Cullen and more of Blacktalon, meanwhile, Wrathion and the rest remained at the stairs, watching King Phaoris and King Magni walking down the stairs towards them.</p><p>"'<em>The gateway to Ny'alotha was lost'</em>?" King Phaoris repeated Wrathion's statement as he stepped on the last stair. The Tol'vir leader's expression was serene, but his eyes shone with confusion.<br/>"The conjurer succeeded in sealing away the gate before we could enter." Declared Wrathion; his tone was warm, as per usual, despite his disappointed expression.<br/>"But we collapsed the temple which hosted thousands of aqir eggs." Intervened Rehgar. "It is safe to declare that the main encampment of the cultist is destroyed - for now."</p><p>"This entire plan was supposed to conclude with us charging into Ny'alotha!" Declared Felassan angrily. "With the gate destroyed - so is our plan."<br/>King Phaoris lifted his hand, gesturing to the demon hunter to be silent. Felassan obediently listened to the Tol'vir leader, albeit he looked insulted to be hushed by him.<br/>"If it is as Rehgar declares, and the Black Empire's main operation is destroyed, Uldum is temporarily safe." Said Phaoris calmly.</p><p>"More or less." Wrathion surmised in a shrug. "It might take some time until the cultists open another gateway, but until then, Nazgrel and the Horde can rid the desert of the remaining encampments."<br/>"So this is our plan? <em>Wait</em>?" Protested the demon hunter.<br/>"If you have another tactic, please speak up Felassan!" Replied Wrathion bitterly. The dragon was just as upset as the night elf Illidari, but he loathed Felassan neglecting his plan, while refusing to give another strategy.</p><p>The demon hunter bit his tongue; his face remained twisted, his forehead puckered in fury, but he remained silent. He crossed his arms and took a step back in a sign that he no longer wishes to partake this conversation.<br/>Wrathion licked lips and ran his fingers through his locks; he felt tired, but refused to admit it to himself or others.</p><p>"If I may intervene." Began Maxwell while taking a step closer to gather everyone's attention on him. "While it <em>is</em> disappointing that we did not achieve what we set out to do - we still won. We have been standing here for a while and the sky did not flicker <em>once</em>." He paladin looked heavenward. "With the portal gone, the veil must be stronger."<br/>"It is a possibility." Admitted King Phaoris while slowly scratching his chin.</p><p>"We have injured men, we have fought relentlessly, and we have no plan." Added Tieria, her face drained away from its color as she still continued to pant. "Whatever our next step will be - we need to rest first and foremost." The templar sighed in relief as she saw some from the group, specifically Rehgar and Caradin, nodding to her words.<br/>"Aye, I wouldn't say no to some food and a nap right now." Grunted Caradin, who was covered in black powder due to his proximity with the explosion.<br/>"My servants shall provide you with chambers within my palace." Stated King Phaoris, agreeing with Tieria's statement. "Have rest, for you deserve it. Victory is ours today; and tomorrow, we will take another step closer to ending this madness once and for all."</p><hr/><p>Servants of Phaoris have guided each member to a private quarter which included a two-person bed, a private bathing room, a large closet and a desk. One would question why did a king need to have so many guest chambers - especially a king of an ancient, secluded kingdom - but nobody dared to ask.</p><p>While Tieria was away to have herself healed, Wrathion freshened up with a swift bath and then collapsed on the large bed.</p><p>Various emotions were surging through him; he was enraged at the fact that the conjurer sealed off the portal in the last moment, thus bringing down Wrathion's plan in defeating N'Zoth; and yet, as King Phaoris stated - they <em>did</em> achieve victory - they brought down the main operation of the Corruptor's activity on Azeroth. It may not be enough to put a stop to all of this, but it bought them some time. Hence, Wrathion convinced himself he had earned a good night's sleep.</p><p>He sighed as he sank into the soft mattress, a good night's sleep felt hard to come by when so many thoughts were beaming in his mind. The dragon reached out to his coat which was hanged by the edge of the bed, and pulled out the dagger from the inner pocket.</p><p>Wrathion took his time analyzing the ethereal weapon once again; he gently turned it around, memorizing every detail about it. He <em>felt </em>as if he was supposed to know of this blade; but all the information he could gather that this item was truly ancient and <em>truly powerful</em>.<br/>The dragon continued to hear faint whispers echoing from the grim eyes, his face twisted as he realized the whispers were not in the common tongue.</p><p>The sound of footsteps echoing towards the room, prompted the dragon to break away from studying the cutlass; he stashed away the dagger back into his coat. He uncertain why he had done so, but something in his mind whispered to him once again to proceed that way. Once the weapon was secluded in the attire, Wrathion rearranged himself on the bed, sinking comfortably atop the sheets and pillows.</p><p>His crimson eyes were fixated upon the large door, watching it open and a slim silhouette entering the chamber. Tieria haltingly walked towards the bed, while wearing a simple oversized night-tunic and had her brown hair resting freely from the grasp of the hair clip. Her face was drained away from its color as her soft expression was clouded with uneasiness, it seemed much like Wrathion - she too - was upset with the outcome of their most recent battle.</p><p>As soon as she sat on the edge of the bed, she gave Wrathion a small smile, which the dragon returned.<br/>"How are your wounds?" Inquired the Black Prince, suddenly feeling slightly at ease with Tieria's presence by his side. Before giving a reply, the templar proceeded to drag herself until she was close enough to rest her head on Wrathion's chest.<br/>"Not severe." She said softly, the weakness in her voice gave out the fact that she was exhausted. "Haliki's healing washed away the lingering pain."</p><p>Tieria arranged herself comfortably in the warmth of the dragon; the paladin made no hesitation to grab his arms and guide them to form a more comfortable position for the both of them.<br/>Wrathion chuckled lightly, letting himself be 'controlled' by Tieria, since they have never done this before. She steered his right arm to be wrapped around her shoulder, while the left one rested on his chest.<br/>Then, Tieria dragged herself an inch higher, resting her head on Wrathion's shoulder and reached out to his hand on his chest, to intertwine her fingers with his'.</p><p>Wrathion brows drew together lightly, but a grin formed on his lips as he snuggled with Tieria. While the dragon enjoyed his time with Tieria; kissing her, feeling her soft skin in the pleasure of love making, he hardly had an affinity for embraces, particularly the one mortals enjoyed after a session of passion or during sleep. Hence, he and Tieria almost never hugged in such a way, in the short time that they have been together.</p><p>Dragons are known to sleep nesting by their mate's side - but given the fact that he has never experienced that, and probably never will - Wrathion never found the desire for it, and hardly understood the pleasure of it.<br/>Tieria did not seem to mind his preference, but at that very moment, she desperately craved for this; and as they laid there - Wrathion realized that it was more revitalizing than he had anticipated.</p><p>He felt his muscles relaxing, as their bodies would heat each other. He let his cheek rest against her head, smelling her faint flowery scent. The hand which rested on her shoulder, lifted itself and began gently tugging and playing with her hair.<br/>As they silently stood in the embrace, Wrathion found himself falling into a state he has never experienced before. It was a feeling of <em>safety</em>. As if no one, not even N'Zoth, could reach him whilst he has Tieria resting on his body.</p><p>It was… Unusual to experience such a thing. He has gotten used to the desire of lust, the feeling of his chest burning with desire; but this <em>delicate </em>sensation he was experiencing was one of a kind. He began to understand why many mortal races craved so much to have a mate; lust can be easily sated with any seductive stranger, but this sentiment of affection could only be done with a soul one would truly care about.</p><p>Tieria continued to lay silently by his side. After an entire morning riding to the land of Uldum, and spending the rest of the day fighting back the Black Empire forces, the templar was hardly in the mood for chatting.</p><p>She lifted her head to place a soft kiss on Wrathion's cheek, before curling back to rest on his shoulder. The dragon released a small chuckle at the sensation of her lips, his smile lingered as he began stroking her wrist with his left hand. He found himself tightening their embrace by wrapping his right arm strongly around her, and it prompted Tieria to release a sigh of satisfaction.</p><p>"Wrathion?" Tieria asked softly, her gaze stared at his hand which continued to stroke her forearm.<br/>"Mhm?" The dragon murmured with his eyes closed, already readying himself to drive off to sleep and put this day behind him.<br/>"I-, You… Have confidence you will not fall to his corruption, right?" She mumbled timidly. Wrathion released a heavy sigh, loathing the fact that N'Zoth now lingered in his mind, breaking away his state of tranquility. He sensed that Tieria regretted her question, as her muscles tensed upon his irritated exhale.<br/>Nonetheless, the dragon pulled a smile on his lips and spoke in his egotistical tone:<br/>"It will take more than ludicrous lies for me to fall to N'Zoth's grasp." He replied.</p><p>Tieria broke away from their snuggle; she lifted her torso to be able to stand face to face with Wrathion. The templar gave the dragon a smile, and reached out to caress his cheek.</p><p>"Good." Declared Tieria in a whisper. "Because I don't want to lose you to him… Or to anyone, at that matter."<br/>Wrathion grinned; amazed at the fact of how swiftly can affection develop between two souls. It was even amusing how this templar - who he simply took a harmless liking in at first - now was someone who opened so many new sensations to him.<br/>"You won't, dear templar." Chuckled Wrathion.</p><p>The dragon reached out to grab Tieria's arms and pulled her down in the embrace they were in before - for he enjoyed it more than anticipated. He anew wrapped an arm around her, while this time pulling the fur sheets over them.<br/>Once they were in the comfortable position, Wrathion brought his lips to meet hers, sealing a passionate good night kiss. Then the Black Prince forced himself to push aside any thoughts regarding the Old God, or the whispering cutlass which lingered in his coat. He tightly embraced Tieria and let himself be taken into realm of dreams.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Twilight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ψ( ｀▽´ )Ψ</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"All this time you were with him, and he had not once yielded to the whispers?" Rehgar asked while he gently pressed his fingers unto Lorga's toned back, rubbing her well-toned muscles.<br/>"No." Replied the Farseer, resting her chin on her palms, as she stretched out on her stomach, lying comfortably on the soft Tol'vir bed; feeling her mate's strong hands against her bare skin brought the shaman in a state of tranquility. "He has proven to be uncommonly resistant to His corruption."</p><p>"Could it be that your vision has been mistaken then?" Murmured Rehgar as he guided his hands lower, massaging her middle-back. Lorga released a light snort in response.<br/>"You know that's not the case, Rehgar." Scolded the Farseer softly. "I saw myself slaying this dragon; and he screeched <em>'Glory for N'Zoth'</em> as he drew his final breath." The orc released a sigh with somber as she visualized her vision once more; but it suddenly turned in a grunt of satisfaction, upon feeling her muscles unknotting from Rehgar's sturdy touch. "It is only a matter of time before he succumbs just like his father." Continued Lorga. "It will most likely occur once we cross the threshold of Ny'alotha."</p><p>Rehgar soaked in Lorga's words while continuing to roam his hands on Lorga's back, admiring the bare body of his lifemate.<br/>It was early morning in Uldum, the sun was barely surging on the desert sky and most of its denizens were still in slumber. It granted Lorga and Rehgar to have some quiet time to rest in the bed of the private quarters King Phaoris has offered them, relishing in each other's company which they ached for the moment they were separated, before others would wake up, and dawn the meeting with King Phaoris and Magni.</p><p>"It would be quite melancholic if that was his fate, don't you think?" Rehgar inquired rhetorically, his hands never leaving her back. "He fights with determination to prevent that particular destiny, and yet..." He paused, as another question abruptly formed in his mind; he posed it without any hesitation: "Will you not try to save him, if you have the opportunity? After all, he does intend on becoming the new Earth-Warder."</p><p>Lorga released a vehement sigh; a couple of weeks ago - Rehgar knew nothing of Wrathion's existence. Now, after she has told him everything she has experienced with Black Prince, her mate all of a sudden became fairly intrigued by the dragon, and his interest in Wrathion only grew after he had finally met him in person. It seemed the gladiator shaman was rather fond of the black dragon, and his campaign to redeem his kin, and seize Neltharion's mantle as the Earth-Warder of Azeroth.</p><p>Deep down, the Farseer did understand her mate's strong interest; Wrathion <em>was</em> a fascinating individual. It was a great task to redeem an accursed breed such as the black dragons, especially given that his predecessor was titled the <em>'Aspect of Death'</em>.<br/>Albeit so far, the Black Prince has proven to be nothing alike to his nefarious kin; he still had a questionable reputation, which always made Lorga wary. She believed that Wrathion's aspiration wasn't entirely selfless; the Farseer speculated that the black dragon wanted to be revered and seen as the ruler of Azeroth, not as her defender.<br/>Lorga was uncertain what drove her to have such a sentiment about the Black Prince, nor did she know if her instinct was correct. It was a mere thought which lingered in her mind ever since she learned of the black dragon.</p><p>But in the end, it did not matter what was her judgment regarding Wrathion. Before their first encounter in Silithus, Lorga had a dream which depicted her battling against a corrupted black dragon who called himself 'Wrathion, the Black Emperor'. In that gruesome clashing, the mighty shaman of the Horde eradicated the corrupted dragon, and as the beast bled on the ground, he assumed the dark-skinned half-elf form which Wrathion adopted as his mortal appearance.</p><p>The following day, Lorga searched far and wide for any information about this 'Wrathion' being, but with little luck. And yet, one sleepless night, the shaman remembered that a black dragon was involved in liberating Garrosh Hellscream, an orc whose name was associated with destruction across Azeroth, but still held dear to Lorga of the once-Warsong clan.</p><p>From her experience, Lorga knew that some of her visions would occur, months if not even years later. So, with that little knowledge she possessed about the black dragon, the Farseer waited for the time when she would encounter Wrathion.<br/>She was unsurprised at the fact that Wrathion surfaced before her, precisely when the Deep One broke free from His abyssal jail; but she was bewildered to find that the dragon was in a good standing with Speaker Magni and that the diamond king was vouched for him to lead the campaign against the Old God.</p><p>In the end, Lorga joined Wrathion's cause because of her vision, because she believed the spirits wanted her to keep an eye on the dragon and put him down when the time is right; but she had to admit - she also joined because she was grew curious of Neltharion's whelp, who believed that he should be in charge of the Titans' mandate to protect Azeroth.</p><p>"<em>If</em> there's the opportunity…" Began Lorga while putting a lot of emphasis on the word <em>'if'</em>. "I will try. But the time for the dragons to watch over Azeroth is over, Rehgar. You should not view him as the Earth-Warder." She released a small grunt between her sentences as Rehgar succeeded in pressing tightly against a particular part of her muscles which felt incredibly sore.<br/>"That does not mean we should simply let him perish." Asserted her mate calmly.<br/>"No, it does not." Agreed the Farseer while shutting her eyes. "Nor does it mean that I intend on going to a great length to save him. I foresaw slaying this dragon - then so shall be his fate."</p><hr/><p>Soon enough after the daybreak, King Phaoris sent out messengers, with a platter of fruit-based breakfast, to every room occupied by his new allies. The couriers declared that King Phaoris is expecting everybody in his throne room in an hour, to discuss a new strategy against the Old God, whose forces were temporarily halted, after the Black Prince and his companions destroyed the physical portal which led to Ny'alotha.</p><p>Tieria ate the fruit platter by herself, since the particular breakfast was not in the dragon's diet. When the templar suggested reaching out to a servant in the palace to arrange something edible for him, Wrathion claimed he did not have appetite.<br/>As she felt uncomfortable to be waited for while she eats her meal, Tieria proposed for Wrathion to leave for the meeting ahead of her. The dragon agreed to her proposition, and after sharing a warm kiss with the templar, he left to join Magni and King Phaoris in the throne, leaving Tieria to eat on her own, without the feeling of rush.</p><p>After she had finished her breakfast, the templar joined the throne room as well, where she was the last person everyone waited for before commencing the meeting. Those present to the gathering consisted of the same party as from the day before, but also with the presence of two additional members: Nazgrel, the prominent orcish commander, who led the Horde armies against N'Zoth's minions on Uldum; and the second person present was Rokash Earthfury, a young shaman of the Earthen Ring, and the son of Lorga and Rehgar.</p><p>Instead of standing on their feet as the previous day, everyone was seated on brown marble chairs, arranged around the table which still retained the miniature sand map of Uldum, with the exception of King Phaoris, who remained seated on his palatial throne.</p><p>Fourteen souls, Tieria counted. Fourteen individuals with disparate abilities, origin, values, and even loyalties, were seated next to one another inside the Ramkahen palace. All of them had little in common between each other, perhaps some of them were not even fond of certain people present in here. But whatever their differences or view of life were - everyone has gathered in that moment because they shared <em>one</em> common goal: saving Azeroth from the shackles of the Old God N'Zoth.</p><p>As King Phaoris was sitting upon his regal seat, positioned on a high platform, Magni and Wrathion were seated on each side of the king; the dragon was on Phaoris' left side, sitting on the chair which rested next to the bottom of the platform. Next to Wrathion, was Tieria, followed by Caradin and Felassan. Maxwell - despite being slightly tense around the demon hunter - settled next to Felassan. And of course, Niall was by his superior's side.<br/>Due to the way the chairs were arranged, Haliki - who sat adjacent to Niall - was right across King Phaoris. Amusingly enough, between Haliki and Magni, only orcs were seated. Eitrigg was to Magni's right, then Nazgrel. Adjoining the Overseer of the Horde forces in Uldum, stood Rehgar, followed by his mate Lorga, and finally - Rokash.</p><p>Tieria had to admit: she felt tension in the chamber. She saw muscles twitching and eyes glistening in discomfort, as everyone made themselves somewhat comfortable in their hard seats. Her head turned to gaze at Wrathion, who stood with his arms crossed; the dragon's expression was stone; he did not even look at Tieria, but instead his crimson eyes started emptily on the ground.<br/>This gathering was about to form a strategy which would conclude the battle against the Corruptor once and for all - she could not blame anyone for feeling apprehensive. Even Tieria felt her heart racing and her breath hastening.</p><p>"I shall omit the details, for we all know why we are here." Commenced King Phaoris. His voice, ever deep and ever calm. He held his staff in his right hand, while letting the other one rest on the armrest of his throne; and his lion companion was asleep at the king's feet. "The gateway to Ny'alotha which was conjured by a servant of the Black Empire was shut down by the same enemy. It was our only way into the Sleeping City, the domain in which lingers the fiend who wishes to reach the Forge of Origination and erase Azeroth from her existence."</p><p>"What makes you draw to the conclusion that The Corruptor would not create another gateway?" Inquired Lord Maxwell, his voice resounding powerfully through the throne room. "I am certain he will attempt to launch another invasion to claim the Forge."<br/>"N'Zoth realized that we intended on entering Ny'alotha through the sole activated portal." Farseer Lorga began to explain. "This is why the warlock closed it down as soon as he was defeated. The Corruptor will not launch another invasion; he will use another way to tear down the veil… by corrupting us one by one, to do his work for him, much like the cultists were doing with the obelisks."<br/>"This is how he escaped his jail in the first place, by succumbin' Queen Azshara into His servitude." Added Speaker Magni.<br/>Maxwell leaned back into his chair, analyzing the explanation while scratching his beard. The Silver Hand knight grunted as he realized that the Corruptor had them pinned into a corner.</p><p>"The gateway was not our only way of entering..." Grunted Rehgar, coming back to the phrase King Phaoris said moments earlier; through his wolf-head hood, the shaman scanned everyone present as he said: "And you all know that."<br/>"The anchors." Said Wrathion, immediately understanding what the gladiator shaman was referring to. That thought crossed the dragon's mind, but due to the horrific outcome this action would provoke, he wished to omit it in the discussion - it seemed Rehgar didn't. Wrathion noticed some hesitantly nodding along to the orc's words, while others seemed to still be processing what Rehgar meant.</p><p>The black obelisks were seen stationed throughout various cultists encampments. Soon enough, the defenders of Uldum learnt that these pillars were a device used by the cultists to bring down the veil between Azeroth and Ny'alotha. The minions of the Black Empire would furnish the anchors with void essence, and once at full energy they would destroy the obelisk, which would result in removing a layer of the veil.<br/>How precisely this magic worked was unknown, for the void was mysterious and fearsome. But upon discovering the cultists scheme, Nazgrel ordered for all their encampments to be cleared out, and have guards stationed around each obelisk, to ensure no cultist would dare to bring down another.</p><p>Tieria's eyes widened as she too, understood what Rehgar meant; the templar swiftly turned her head to Wrathion:<br/>"But breaking the anchors-"<br/>"Would mean we bring Ny'alotha into Azeroth." The Black Prince finished her sentence in a grim tone. Tiera sank into her chair; her face becoming pale in a blink of an eye.</p><p>"Absolutely not!" Cried out Rokash. The young orc, visibly unable to get a grip on his emotions in such a severe gathering, rose on his feet while tightly clenching his fists. "N'Zoth will terminate this world in an instant if we do so!"<br/>"Sit down, Rokash!" Scolded Lorga, her arms crossed as she had a small glare directed to her boy.<br/>"Mother, father, you two are shamans! You cannot possibly agree to the idea of letting the Deep One cross the veil! Azeroth is harmed as it is; she will not withstand another attack from an Old God!" Argued Rokash, ignoring his mother's censure. His face frowning and nostrils flaring at the passive expressions coming from his parents.</p><p>"No, she will not." Agreed Wrathion, but the tone in his voice indicated that there was a follow up to his words: "This is why we must strike N'Zoth now, while He is still weakened from His prison. It is only a matter of time until He reaches to His full power and tears down the veil Himself, without the aid of His minions. Then, we will have no chance at defeating Him."<br/>"I-I don't know." Caradin shook his head hesitantly, then he gestured to Rokash. "I agree with the boy. If we tear down the veil… We'll be doin' N'Zoth's job fer 'im!" The dwarf blinked agitatedly, his bushy blonde brows snapped together. He looked up at Lorga and asked: "Is there no other way?"</p><p>The Farseer however, ignored Caradin's question; she was looking up at Rokash and reached out to touch his wrist, gently pulling him down to resume his seat. The young orc hesitated at first, but eventually he listened to his mother.</p><p>"Much like the Farseer said: N'Zoth knows of our plan to enter Ny'alotha." Wrathion resumed to speak, explaining to Caradin, as well as the rest, why destroying the anchors was their only solution: "He wants us to break the anchors and tear down the veil." The Black Prince took a grim pause. "We either wait, until N'Zoth reaches His full strength and personally crosses the veil. Or we bring Him here, while He is still weakened - and end Him."</p><p>"And de Forge?" Intervened Haliki. "De Corruptor be afta' de' Forge of Origination, He be chargin' ta it as soon as de veil is down." The Zandalari druid caught the eye of Wrathion's jaw tightening. It seemed the dragon had thought this over before, and already knew about this knot in the plan.<br/>"We strike down the Old God before He reaches it." Declared Felassan plainly. He gave a light shrug, his head directed towards Magni. "You said that the weapon your Titanic watcher intends on using is almost ready, we simply have to cut through the fiends to get the Corruptor."<br/>"You are too deliberate with the word <em>'simply'</em>." Lectured Lorga grimly. "We're talking about walking on an alternate reality in which the Old Gods' domain."</p><p>"M.O.T.H.E.R will have the Forge of Heart prepared and ready ta' strike N'Zoth at yer command." Said Magni while looking at the demon hunter. a tint of hesitation lingered in his echo-sounding voice. "But the Farseer is right - ta' get ta' N'Zoth will be challengin'. We have no concept of how large His realm is, or how many minions it holds." The diamond dwarf released a sigh of frustration, his shining face displaying distress. "If we do bring down the veil and waste too much time fighting His minions - it might be too late - and we lose the Forge of Origination ta' 'im."</p><p>"Then we station our entire forces around the Forge." Debated Nazgrel, in his deep voice. The large orc grunted upon witnessing Lorga shaking her head.<br/>"It will not be enough." Sighed the Farseer, her foot was tapping agitatedly, as she grew tired by now of having so many meetings to discuss all these strategies, which often never prevailed anyway.</p><p>Suddenly silence embraced the chamber. Tieria watched as Wrathion sank in his chair and ran his fingers through his locks, stunned at how to untangle this plan. The templar leaned back in her chair as well, glancing at hands resting in her lap while chewing on her lower lip.<br/>She briefly lifted her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering with every blink, as she gazed around, watching everybody's somber expressions.</p><p>"The Forge can be used to eradicate life from Azeroth…" Began Tieria. She spoke so quietly, that only Wrathion and Caradin heard her. Her brown eyes were fixated on the floor, as if she was reading her words off the ground. "But, what happens if you deactivate it?" She raised her voice upon asking the question, making herself be heard by everyone.<br/>"It would temporarily stop the world from progressing." Replied King Phaoris. "Trees would not grow. Animals would not mate. The soil would dry."<br/>"But the people could still live?" Followed-up Tieria with the question, to which the monarch replied:<br/>"Temporarily."</p><p>As she analyzed the severity of the outcome, Tieria watched some of the faces lighting up as they were becoming keen with the templar's idea. But before she could add more to it, she was interrupted by Lorga:</p><p>"Even if we would deactivate it - N'Zoth and His lackeys would simply put it back in motion." Grunted the Farseer angrily. "Doing so won't aid us."<br/>"No." Intervened Caradin in a warm tone. He slid closer to the edge of the chair, while pointing at Tieria but looking at the ground: "Tia is unto somethin'." He breathed rapidly, his eyes blinking towards the ground while forming his thoughts into words: "The Forge, albeit is a Titan device - it's still a machine! Any device is built into many pieces which can be removed and placed back in. What if we take away somethin' out of it? A disk, a core, the tiniest spring, and hide it away?" The dwarf finally lifted his eyes, looking at every member seated. "That way the Forge remains safely deactivated, without givin' N'Zoth the possibility ta' use ta' corrupt it and overwrite our reality with Ny'alotha!"</p><p>Wrathion's hardened features suddenly alleviate as he saw a solid strategy in the dwarf's words.</p><p>"We could hide it in the Ebon Rest." Suggested the dragon, hope began warming up his soul. He briefly turned to Tieria, who gave him an endearing smile, then he looked at Magni.<br/>"Da world can survive a tad little without de trees." Smiled Haliki through his tusks, also voicing his agreement to this plan.<br/>"You think opening apart an ancient Titan machinery is easy?" Objected Lorga in an unconvinced tone; Rokash nodded along to his mother's question. Caradin shook his head in response.<br/>"I don't think it's easy - but it's <em>possible</em>." Countered the Argent Crusade sergeant confidently, which followed by Rehgar's:<br/>"It is worth a shot."</p><p>Whatever was Lorga's or anyone else's opinion on that matter - Wrathion cared no longer. The dragon has settled that this was the best and safest strategy to pursue with. Time was of the essence, they could not afford searching for alternatives.<br/>As he scoured around, the dragon wondered if anyone would pose an argument towards this plan, but to his fortune - nobody seemed to dissent. Everyone understood the severity of wasting too much time and allowing N'Zoth to recover to his full strength, and everyone desired to put an end to this once and for all.</p><p>The Black Prince reached out to feel the enigmatic dagger which rested in the inner pocket of his coat, then he lifted his gaze at King Phaoris, who seemingly was contemplating the approach to deactivate the Forge of Origination and open it into parts. Soon enough, the Tol'vir monarch recited the words Wrathion was pleased to hear:</p><p>"As of this moment it is our only option." Decreed King Phaoris and hit his staff against the floor in a decisive manner. "And I shall declare that we are going to pursue this strategy!"<br/>"Then let us waste no time and enter the Halls of Origination!" Exclaimed Speaker Magni, who seemed to be jubilant that they at last had a plan to set up in motion.<br/>Wrathion grinned as he watched everyone nodding to the diamond king's thrill. Magni waved his arm to gesture to everyone to rise from their seats, which commenced without hesitation.</p><p>"The entrance to the temple is sealed behind a door which only I possess the key to unlock." Elaborated King Phaoris whilst rising from his seat, causing his lion companion to wake up from the abrupt movement. "I shall retrieve it, then you may enter the Halls of the Origination."<br/>"In the meantime let us discuss how we will pursue, once we have secured a piece of the Forge." Implored Rehgar, he looked at Nazgrel as he spoke, but clearly he was addressing everybody. His desire to consult <em>another</em> strategy, caused Lorga to release a groan in annoyance. The gladiator-shaman shot his mate a glare, to which Lorga brushed off by rolling her eyes and began to exit the throne room alongside Haliki and Rokash.<br/>"Speaker and I shall join you shortly." Declared Wrathion to Rehgar. "There is one other matter I wish to discuss first."</p><p>The dragon's words were met with an agitated look from Tieria, but as he gave her an alluring smile, the templar felt at ease and formed the conclusion that Wrathion simply desires to discuss certain aspects of their upcoming plan. She nodded at the dragon and took her leave to join everyone else outside.<br/>Wrathion waited until every soul left the throne room; until it was only him, King Phaoris and Speaker Magni. As soon as the colossal doors were shut, the Black Prince's expression hardened.</p><p>"I'll require the table." Said Wrathion while gesturing with his head at the miniature sculpture of Uldum. King Phaoris gave a nod to the Black Prince, and proceeded to vanish his magical map with a simple wave of hand. Simultaneously, the sand mountains, hills and temples began to crumble, until they all were on the same flat level as the surface of the square table.</p><p>Wrathion approached the marble desk while reaching out to the inside of his coat. He pulled out the cutlass wrapped in a velvet silk cloth, and laid it on the table which was still covered in sand.<br/>Without hesitation, the dragon unfolded the fabric by pulling it by its end, unveiling the unworldly dagger to Magni and King Phaoris.</p><p>Faint, echoing whispers were heard vibrating from the weapon; the blue eye blinked ever so often.<br/>King Phaoris began walking towards the table to have a closer look, while Magni gasped, feeling the raw dark power emitting from this blade; its violet lighting reflected in his diamond eyes. Magni inhaled deeply, unsure what to say; he felt as if the blade cut off his ability to speak with its presence.</p><p>The Black Prince stood silently before the table, waiting for King Phaoris and Speaker Magni to express <em>anything</em> regarding his finding. Upon moments passing, and the two individuals continued to remain silent, Wrathion spoke:</p><p>"I found it in the conjurer's possession."<br/>"Lad…" Breathed Speaker Magni at last, still shocked at what he was seeing. "This weapon… is not from our world."<br/>"His corruption surges from this blade!" Declared King Phaoris as he tightened the grip of his staff. "I can feel it! This weapon-"<br/>"Is Xal'atath." Interrupted Wrathion. "There is no mistake this is the ancient blade of the Black Empire."</p><p>King Phaoris' feline features darkened upon the Black Prince's words. Magni found himself taking a step back, his eyes never interrupting from looking at the blade.<br/>"Legends speak of this weapon…" Sighed the Tol'vir monarch, he inhaled sharply while remembering the ancient texts he had read of the dark blade that held sway over the shadows themselves. "There are outlandish claims that the blade is the remains of a forgotten Old God who was consumed by its kin…" Phaoris reached out to rub his eyes. The words of the Tol'vir king caused Magni to release a grunt. Then, Phaoris continued: "Other texts translate that this blade is the claw of Y'Shaarj itself."<br/>"Whatever is the truth of its origin, the blade is infused with the Old God's power!" Exclaimed Speaker Magni.</p><p>"I have stumbled upon archaic texts of it, as well." Confessed Wrathion; he rested his hands on the table as his eyes lingered upon the blade. "The blade was never in one place; it was always changing hands, over the millennia and sowing death and chaos wherever it went. Last I have heard, it was in the possession of the naga."<br/>"It must have been taken by a minion of N'Zoth after Queen Azshara suffered defeat." Theorized Speaker Magni, oddly enough he began scratching his diamond beard. "I am uncertain what Azshara planned on doin' with it."<br/>"So am I." Sighed Wrathion with his crimson eyes glaring at the dagger.</p><p>Magni released an unsatisfying grunt and shook his head in disapproval, he waved his arms as if trying to shoo the blade away from his eyes.<br/>"Whatever is the story behind this item - 'tis no good news. It should be locked away, and never mentioned ever again." Ordered the diamond king.<br/>"I wouldn't be so hasty, Magni." Asserted the Black Prince collectively. "Albeit it emerges from the Black Empire, it <em>is</em> still a weapon. It might come to use in Ny'alotha."<br/>"Lad! Whatever ye think of doing with it - don't. 'Tis a twisted item! Ye could be corrupting ye as much as N'Zoth!" Scolded the Speaker of Azeroth, his crystal brows snapped together to give Wrathion a glare, as he watched the dragon wrap the cutlass into the cloth and burying it in the inner-pocket of his coat.</p><p>"And what are your intentions with the blade then?" Interrogated King Phaoris slightly hostile. His feline eyes were directed at the pocket Wrathion concealed the dagger in.<br/>"Nothing, for now." Confessed the dragon. "I do wonder however, what will occur with it once it is brought '<em>home'</em>."<br/>"Ye thinkin' it will somehow activate itself in some sort o' enchanted blade?" Inquired Magni, half-serious, half-jesting.<br/>"All I know is that any magic or power our champions possess will not even scratch N'Zoth's wicked skin." Elaborated Wrathion, his features immediately darkening upon the mention of the Corruptor. "A weapon of the Black Empire might."</p><p>Magni sighed, albeit he was still discontent with Wrathion's desire to keep the blade, he understood the dragon's theory.<br/>"Lad, I trust ye." Confessed the diamond king softly. "But... be careful. In my experience - those who dabble in this stuff - rarely come out whole."<br/>"It shall not be in my case, Speaker."</p><hr/><p>It was decided that only Wrathion and Magni, alongside the Black Prince's selected champions, would enter the Halls of the Origination to seek out the Forge. In that time, those remaining in Ramkahen city would lay out a new strategy to destroy the pillars of the veil, and spread the forces in a strategic defense form, once the Sleeping City dawns over Uldum.<br/>Before the departure, Wrathion has selected his most trusted agents to would carry the extracted piece from the Forge of Origination back to the Ebon Rest and keep it safe. These said agents were instructed to wait at the terrace of the pyramid which was the Halls of the Origination until their master's return.</p><p>The flight to the ancient Titanic temple was swift and without delays. King Phaoris granted them the opening to Halls of Origination by stripping down the enchanted defense barrier he had casted upon the entrance decades ago, and inserting a large key which unlocked over ten locks the door had.</p><p>In a short matter of time, the Black Prince and his companions found themselves walking through the long, dusty halls which led to the machinery that maintained the essence of life in the world.<br/>They entered inside the pyramid through the underground entrance, and proceeded to walk down a narrow corridor at first, towards the center of the temple. Spider webs, dust, cracks on the floor and ceiling indicated that this temple was long abandoned; it made one wonder why such an important construction of the world appeared so neglected.</p><p>Magni confidently led the group, with Wrathion walking right by his side. King Phaoris had provided them with a large golden coffer in which they could store the extracted piece from the Forge. It was a beautiful dark marble chest, with Tol'vir hieroglyphics carved on every side. Its lid was made out of gold, with two large eagle heads sculpted atop. The excessive ornaments made the chest quite heavy, even when it was empty; making it be carried by both Tieria and Felassan with the use of two long poles, attached to each side of the coffer.</p><p>"I expected wardens throughout the temple." Farseer Lorga said, her voice echoing within the high halls. Her head turned left and right, analyzing the sculptures of the giant bronze titan heads which were attached to each side of the walls. The unusual emptiness and silence in this temple created an eerie atmosphere, making even Lorga nervous; instinctively she always had a hand on the handle of her axe.<br/>"There used ta' be four Titanic watchers, defending these halls." Explained Speaker Magni. "Rajh, Ammunae, Setesh and Isiset. However, during the Cataclysm, the Twilight Hammer succeeded in turning them ta' serve Deathwing, forcing the Tol'vir to slay 'em."</p><p>Upon hearing the mention of the Aspect of Death, Tieria glanced at Wrathion, who walked only a couple of steps in front of her. She blinked, wondering if the dragon would have any sort of reaction at the mention of his corrupted father - but the Black Prince did not even flinch; he continued to walk, ignoring the conversation.</p><p>"Since then, the Halls of Origination have solely been in the hands of the Tol'vir. And they have done a great job in defendin' it so far." Concluded Speaker Magni.<br/>"It does not explain why they haven't stationed anyone inside." Grunted Lorga, her eyes continuously analyzing every corner.<br/>"Don't Titans build traps in their constructions?" Intervened Felassan, including himself in the discussion with the little Titan knowledge he possessed.<br/>"Usually - yes. But I believe King Phaoris would have warned us o' any traps or mechanisms we should stay away from!" Reassured the diamond king.</p><p>The path of the Forge of the Origination was long; from the outside, one could not imagine that the temple was a large maze. Without Magni, the dragon and the others would most likely be lost.<br/>They passed through multiple chambers and corridors, built in an architectural design which was not commonly seen throughout Azeroth. Finally, they reached a glass platform, which in fact was an elevator, situated at an intersection which led to more chambers.</p><p>The diamond king had the knowledge to activate the navigation platform, and enabled it to take him and his companions to the highest floor of the Titan sanctuary.<br/>"Me brother Brann would be so jealous!" Chuckled Speaker Magni, his crystal eyes shining brightly as he gazed at the surroundings. "He has an affinity for diggin' ancient temples you see."<br/>Nobody made any commentary to his statement; everybody was far too focused on examining the massive and ancient structure which was the Halls of Origination. They studied every statue, every rune, every pattern on the floor and pillar, while wondering of the nature of the Titans.</p><p>The glass elevator took them to the last floor, which was covered in bronze walls; and much like the chambers from below - it had statues of Titan heads sculpted on each side of the wall. To one's surprise, the room was well lit with the aid of some unexplained floating spheres; they emitted a warm, white light as they quietly drifted throughout the chamber.</p><p>The Forge of the Origination - the monumental Titan-device which regulated the rhythms of the earth and fortified Azeroth's world-soul - stood right before them at the end of the room. It wasn't a colossal, overcomplicated-appearing device as one would assume. It was in fact, the size of an average vrykul, and had a fairly rectangular shape. Two large pipes emerged from each side, and connected themselves with the wall. On the surface of the Forge, was a spherical gadget which operated the Titan-device. It shined in a luminous white light, much like the spheres which lit the chamber.</p><p>"Think about it…" Breathed Tieria while pacing slowly through the chamber with her eyes continuously roaming every side of it. "We are in one of the most important chambers in <em>the whole of Azeroth</em>!" Wrathion grinned at her enthusiasm and watched as the templar explored the chamber in awe. However, he swiftly broke away from admiring Tieria to focus on the task at hand. The dragon looked at Caradin, who waited for him and Magni to give him permission to proceed with their plan.</p><p>"Magni-" Began Wrathion, but the Speaker, who was already standing before the Forge, waved to the dragon and interrupted him:<br/>"I am already deactivatin' it!" His diamond fingers gently worked around the spherical tool; turning and pulling the necessary levers to demilitarize the ancient machinery. Magni did not know where he obtained the knowledge to operate such devices; he believed it was due to his strong connection with Azeroth herself, that the diamond king recognized how each instrument of the Titans functioned in this world.</p><p>A mechanical echo reverberated in the chamber of the Forge; it grew loud at first, then it dimmed away, signaling that the Titan device had been deactivated. The bright illumination from the control center vanished alongside with the sound.<br/>"Right." Nodded Magni, confident that he had succeeded in completing his task. He turned to Caradin and motioned his head towards the Forge. "Get in there and open it up."</p><p>Caradin leaped towards the machinery; his backpack ringing as every metal tool was hammering against one another in his satchel. He sat on his knees and pulled the goggles which rested on the top of his head towards his eyes; then silently, the dwarf began analyzing the Forge.<br/>Everybody else wordlessly watched Caradin untangling the structure of the Titan machinery, reluctant to disturb the engineer from his work.</p><p>Tieria however, could not sit in one place. The templar kept pacing around the chamber, her plate boots echoing with every step she took. For someone like her - who has taken a pledge to herself to learn more of Azeroth's history in order to aid in her defense, <em>(albeit in her particular case, she was focusing on the Dragon Aspects - the true defenders of Azeroth)</em> - it was prodigious to be in such a valuable facility. She had a difficult time maintaining her excitement.</p><p>
  <em>"Your wakening draws near…"</em>
</p><p>Tieria suddenly felt as if something was pulling her towards the ground. Her body weakened in an instant, and the templar found herself collapsing on the glass floor on her knees.<br/>Naturally, Tieria's abrupt action caused everyone's attention to fixate on her. Even Caradin, who remained in his pose: with his knees down and his hands pressed against the body of the Forge.</p><p>"Tieria-" Addressed Wrathion with a tint of concern in his voice, while taking a step closer to the paladin. He was unable to finish his thought as Tieria interrupted him:<br/>"I'm well." Breathed out the templar while getting up on her feet before anyone could jump in to aid her. "I-I simply lost balance." She explained, uncertain to herself if it was a lie or not. She did not quite comprehend how or what caused her to collapse; assuming that she lost balance was the only logical explanation.</p><p>Her cheeks flushed pink in light embarrassment; Wrathion's gaze lingered upon her, making Tieria give him a reassuring smile to attempt to brush off what had just occurred.<br/>"H-how is it going, Caradin?" Inquired the templar, giving another try to ignore her embarrassing situation.<br/>The sergeant first replied with a loud grunt due to the heavy and thick bronze tile he was putting aside. It seemed he had succeeded in opening apart the body of the Forge, allowing him to view the inside mechanisms of the device.</p><p>"Well, I got it open." Declared the dwarf, his body already forming sweat and his breath was shortened. "Now I gotta carefully take out a piece o' it."<br/>"Any item will do, Caradin." Said Wrathion whilst taking a step closer to the dwarf to examine the inside of the Forge. "As long as you can assemble it back - we cannot afford Azeroth progress without the Forge for too long."<br/>"Aye." Breathed Caradin in a nod, while reaching his gloved hands inside the device.</p><p>It took Caradin more than two hours to succeed in disassembling a single piece from the inner engine of the Forge. He worked attentively and haltingly; the dwarf could not afford to cause any damage to the essential machinery. In that time, everyone quietly and even somewhat dulled, waited for the dwarf by resting against the floor. Even Tieria forced herself to sit in one place, to avoid another '<em>stumbling</em>'.</p><p>Ultimately, Caradin extracted a large, golden sphere which was attached by every pipe and wire within the Forge and was located in the very center. According to his engineering skills - the dwarf believed this particular orb was the core, the heart of the Forge. Unlike any other pieces from the device, this particular part was irreplaceable; hence, he believed it was the best act to remove this fragment of the Forge.</p><p>As he gently held the Heart, he fell hoary, compelling power surging from it. He <em>felt</em> the Titans energy, which left him breathless and he swore he felt his blood pulsing rapidly. He thought he could take over the world whilst holding the heart of the Forge.<br/>Caradin carried the orb with utmost tenderness, he walked as if on thin ice, towards the coffer which had its lid detached by Felassan and Tieria.</p><p>Everyone watched the luminous gold orb being placed inside the Tol'vir chest. Tieria and Felassan closed the coffer, and locked it with chains weaved around it.<br/>"This is it." Sighed Speaker Magni while looking at the deactivated Forge. Wrathion found himself nodding along to the diamond king's words, but felt unable to deliver any words.<br/>"Good, now let's leave this accursed place." Grunted Lorga, while pulling her cloak tightly around her as if she was feeling cold. "Titan facilities make my soul twist."</p><hr/><p>The Blacktalon took off to the Ebon Rest as soon as Wrathion and the rest returned with the coffer. The next step was to wait until the Black Prince's agents would arrive at the hidden sanctuary and said a swift messengers bird with a report that the piece of the Forge is secured inside the Ebon Rest.<br/>It was an odd waiting period; one could not relax due to the upcoming fearful event they were about to face, neither did they have any activity to do to speed up the waiting time.<br/>Tieria found herself returning to the private quarters she and Wrathion have slept in during the night, and soon enough the Black Prince joined the templar.</p><p>She reached out to wrap her arms around his neck as soon as he walked through the door. The dragon chuckled at the sudden embrace, but warmly returned it. When they pulled away, a smile formed on Tieria's lips once their eyes met.<br/>Wrathion's brows pulled together as his eyes roamed Tieria's features. Something about that grin seemed… <em>deceptive</em>. Her eyes darted, as well as her breathing was slightly hastened; and her nails were digging into the sleeves of his coat, reluctant to let him walk away from the embrace.</p><p>"You are afraid." Spewed out Wrathion as he read her eyes. She blinked rapidly, surprised by the dragon's words; which - albeit, she did not want to admit it - were the truth. The templar pressed her lips firmly against one another; the shine in her eyes was enough of an indication that Wrathion's assumption was correct.<br/>"Is it wrong to dread such an enemy?" Interrogated Tieria melancholically, finally scattering the thought which lingered in her mind for quite some time. "The thought of losing… Azeroth, and everybody I care for, to His corruption, is far more frightening than standing before an army of the Scourge."</p><p>The Black Prince's mouth curved into a smile as he breathed out a sympathetic chuckle. He lifted his hand to caress Tieria's chin. Her pale cheeks swiftly rose in a pink shade at his touch.<br/>"There is a specific reason as to why I have chosen you and the others to fight this battle - because you are the valiant champions who will not succumb to His whispers and succeed in battling Him." Recitation the dragon confidently. "Of that, I am certain."<br/>"I am not as courageous as you make me out to be; and I'm certainly not as tenacious as Farseer Lorga or strong-willed as Felassan." Admitted Tieria humbly, which only caused Wrathion's grin to deepen.</p><p>"I recall hearing a tale of a blacksmith daughter rushing to save her camp from the Scourge, despite her father calling for her to stay away from the battle." Began the dragon, his fingers still holding her chin to ensure she never breaks away their eye contact. "Then, I have been told of an unrelenting templar wielding the Ashbringer itself and slaying a naztherim, who posed a threat to her entire order." He watched as Tieria's startling eyes began to soften and a shy smile started to form on her lips. "And in the end, I met that particular soul. A woman, who rescued a black dragon… Despite the very same dragon attempting to harm her for accidentally being in possession of something valuable to him." He released a small chuckle in-between his sentence. "And I witnessed pure kindness and braveness emanating from her."</p><p>Tieria inhaled sharply; her first encounter with Wrathion felt decades ago. So much has occurred since then, that it was overwhelming for the young templar; She found herself surprised that Wrathion remembered her story of how she rushed to save her refugee camp from the Scourge, and was gifted to hold the power of the Light; and how he saw her actions to fight Balnazzar - despite it being against the orders of the Silver Hand - a courageous act. It filled her heart with so many emotions that she thought it would burst.</p><p>"If I did not believe you had what it takes to face the Corruptor, Tieria." Began the black dragon once again, this time talking more firmly. "I would have <em>not</em> allowed you to join my cause. I would have left you in Hearthglen, utterly forgetting about your existence." His last sentence caused Tieria to huff amused, as it was so characteristic of the dragon to speak in such manner.</p><p>His small speech has certainly lifted her spirits, albeit it also left her without words. Unknowing how to reply, Tieria reached out cup both of his cheeks, pulling the dragon for a tight kiss. She smiled inwardly to herself as Wrathion swiftly deepened their kiss. It wasn't too long until their amorous exchange became heated; they began caressing each other, searching to feel the skin which was concealed under layers of clothes and armor. Moans escaped from Tieria's mouth once Wrathion slid his tongue, pushing past her clenched teeth to the moist space within.</p><p>The dragon began to aggressively take off his coat, letting it fall on the floor, as their kiss grew heavy. Without breaking apart, he guided the templar to the bed. Tieria let herself be pushed on the bed without hesitation, and Wrathion hastily climbed atop her, careful not to crush her against his body.<br/>Tieria giggled as she felt Wrathion chuckle through his teeth, whilst he softly bit her earlobe. He proceeded to run his tongue down her slim neck, and while his hands worked rapidly to remove her breastplate. Tieria aided him in stripping her by removing her gauntlets, belt, plate kilts and boots, until she laid before him in her grey undergarments.</p><p>Wrathion's lips directed to the line of her shoulder, planting kisses while reaching out to her back and untangling the laces of her brassette. In that time, as moans of pleasure continued to escape her lips, Tieria was working to remove the dragon's grey tunic, aching to view his bare sublime body.<br/>Once her chest was revealed to him, Wrathion gently squeezed her nipple between his fingers, making Tieria exhale in a sign of lust. The templar ordered breathlessly to Wrathion to lift his arms above him, allowing her to gracefully lift it, having the dragon sit atop her with his torso bare.</p><p>His fingers began to lightly tread across her soft skin, making Tieria's heart race in a frenzy. He drew closer to her as he angled his head, slightly shrouding a smile, and allowed the exquisite essence of his lips meet hers. He rolled his tongue over hers delicately, yet ardently. Tieria's moans only encouraged Wrathion to deepen the kiss by reaching to the back of her head, and pulling her tighter to him.</p><p>Tieria felt her breathing becoming heavy and staggered, despite this being the mere beginning of their passionate session. As Wrathion broke the kiss, he lifted his torso and reached out to effortlessly strip himself off his breeches. His handsome features were sensually accentuated by the light which emitted from the lit braziers arranged across the bedroom; and his crimson eyes, burning with impulsive passion and ecstasy, took Tieria's breath away.</p><p>Her toes curled into the sheets of the bed as Wrathion climbed on her to seal another kiss. Their moans of lust echoed soundly within the chamber. Goosebumps began to form on Tieria's skin upon feeling his hard arousal brushing against her inner thigh.<br/>Wrathion once again lowered his head to place a trail of soft kisses mixed with light biting on her neck; he pursued lower and lower until his mouth was inches away from her chest. The corner of his lips turned up playfully before he gave a lick to one of her nipples. Then he proceeded to suck on it, dancing his warm tongue around it and making Tieria wince in pleasure.</p><p>His hand ensured her other breast was receiving attention as well; he cupped it firmly and began intermittently messaging it in circular motions, while rubbing his length against her, and prodding ever so slightly into the templar.<br/>Tieria fingers knotted themselves in his curled locks, as all she could do was to lay on the comfortable mattress, moaning in great satisfaction that Wrathion brought her.</p><p>Without any warning, the dragon pushed himself into her, grunting lustingly as he thrust his entire length in one maneuver. Tieria gasped how warm, how thick and how full Wrathion felt. No lover has ever made her feel the way she felt with him.<br/>He lifted his torso to give her a tantalizing smile. Then he took her hips in both of his hands and began a fierce and steady motion. Tieria felt her body already tightening; she closed her eyes as Wrathion repeated this motion with gradually increasing force and speed. He gave her little opportunity to catch her breath or even moan his name, as he fucked her deeper and harder — each thrust being more consuming than the last.</p><p>The Black Prince extended a hand above her head, digging his nails into the soft pillow, as he felt reaching to his edge. He cursed and called for his beloved templar, whilst riding out his climax. It brought a smile on Tieria's face to hear the dragon's calling for her in such a manner.<br/>Despite being undone, Wrathion continued to thrust until Tieria would reach her own climax. He simultaneously began to rub her aching clit in circular motions with his fingers.</p><p>This whole time Tieria remained with her eyes shut. She turned her head to the side, her mouth pursued to release gasps and moans of bliss. Suddenly, the templar forced open her eyes as she felt Wrathion grabbing her chin and turning her to face him.<br/>"Look at me." Commanded the dragon breathlessly, his dapper features flushed with ecstasy; with reckless abandon he continued to rub and fuck her furiously.</p><p>Tieria did as she was told only for a brief moment; soon enough, she felt her orgasm washing over her, making her close her eyes and arch her back, while letting out euphoric cries. Wrathion watched as she gripped the sheets, as if she was afraid to slip off the bed due to her trembling body. He remained inside of her until her moans died out; his hand now rested on the curve of her shoulder.</p><p>She gave him a smile while taking a moment to catch her breath, looking at him with adoration; Wrathion returned her the smile and stroked her scarred cheek with the back of his fingers. He gently rested his forehead against hers, as he took the moment to also regain his breathing to a regular pace.<br/>Tieria shuddered lightly at the sensation of Wrathion unsheathing from her; then the dragon rolled away from her, collapsing on the bed. The templar's smile lingered as she gazed at the Black Prince, who was now laid satisfied next to her, with his eyes shut and a grin on his ample dark lips.</p><p>In that moment that she was with Wrathion - time seemed to stop; the world had no concerns, and the only thought that filled the templar's mind was the black dragon. She loathed that any moment now, the two of them would have to shatter away from this passionate and daydreaming realm, and soak in the cold Old God infested reality. So she attempted to imprint every second she was with Wrathion deep in her memory, never wishing to forget this feeling.</p><p>Tieria turned to lay on her right side, and reached out to cup Wrathion's hand which laid on his stomach. The dragon made no reaction; he remained lying on his back with his eyes shut, seemingly falling into another slumber. She dragged herself closer to him, pressing her body as tightly as possible to feel his warmth.<br/>As she looked at the dapper, masked as a half-elf dragon, Tieria felt her heating beating with haste. Nothing else needed to be said or done to improve that moment of laying in an embrace after passionate lovemaking; it was perfect. She wondered if Wrathion felt the same way, but the dragon looked so relaxed, that the templar did not want to bother him with ridiculous questions.</p><p>She reached out to kiss Wrathion's cheeks, which caused the dragon to smile. And as she tightened her hold of his hand, Tieria shut her eyes, allowing herself to relax for a brief moment; before they had to face the sinister reality.</p><hr/><p>Niall felt a shiver running through his body as the first firework fired off into the sky. His green eyes watched as the flares exploded loudly, leaving small red sparks to dance in the air, shining in an enchanting manner in the contrast with the bright blue sky.</p><p>It was during late mid-day that Wrathion received the written report that his agents have arrived in the Ebon Rest. In that time, Nazgrel and King Phaoris, have succeeded in organizing an ingenious strategy to bring down the anchors in a coordinated manner:<br/>The Black Prince, and his so-called 'elite' team, would be located at the highest terrace of Ramkahen palace, overlooking the desert; while Nazgrel spread his and the Tol'vir forces throughout the cultist encampment which encompassed the Ny'alotha anchors; as of that particular moment - there were seventeen of them.</p><p>Upon Wrathion's command, Lord Maxwell would launch a bundle of fireworks into the sky, signaling the north encampment to bring down the anchor. In a clockwise fashion, the next encampment would commence to destroy the anchor, as soon as a firework would fire away.<br/>Once the pillar was shattered, thunder resonated throughout the entire desert, and as before, the black stronghold that was Ny'alotha glimmered above them. Infernal screech cried out in heavens for as long as the Sleeping City persisted; terrorizing the fauna of Uldum. The horrific vision of Ny'alotha faded in a blink of an eye. But the veil was weakening, even Niall <em>felt</em> it.</p><p>The young paladin looked over at Wrathion; the dragon was supposed to be calling for the second firework to launch, but he remained frozen in his spot. The Black Prince had his eyes peered at the blue sky with an analytical expression displayed on his half-elven features. Niall was wondering what thoughts crossed the dragon's mind at that moment, but he didn't dare to ask, neither did the others who were present at the pyramid.</p><p>"Proceed." Ordered Wrathion eventually while giving Maxwell a swift look. Niall found himself holding his breath as Lord Tyrosus guided his torch towards the second crate of fireworks.<br/>More sparks of fire twinkled in the desert sky, and before they could wholly vanish away, the second anchor was shattered and once again the realm of N'Zoth showed itself briefly on Azeroth.</p><p>One by one, each pillar was brought down. And with each destroyed anchor - Ny'alotha would linger longer above them. Niall sweated excessively as he counted every firework; Maxwell's expression grew grimmer with each disintegrated anchor.<br/>Niall's knees felt weak when he mutely mouthed the word 'seventeen'. The young Silver Hand paladin could not help but notice his companions stiffening once Maxwell released the last bundle of fireworks; Niall even caught the eye of templar Tieria reaching out to grab the Black Prince's hand, squeezing it tightly before releasing it.</p><p>Final firework was blasted off, and with it - the final anchor.</p><p>The last pillar which was destroyed, stood at the tall hill which was on the same level as the pyramid. From afar, Niall saw the faint silhouette of the black anchor and Nazgrel lifting his large axe and slamming into its body. It took the orc five to six moves until the stone finally cracked, running itself through every piece which held the anchor together, and then collapsing onto the ground.</p><p>An earthquake began the moment the smallest debris hit the soil. It grew stronger and stronger with each passing moment. Niall watched his companions tense as they held their ground, their eyes were directed towards the sky which suddenly shadowed in violet and red. The sun remained, but it was no longer emitting heat; the air shifted icy in an instant, causing one's bones to shiver.</p><p>Swirls void of magic began forming in the air. The sinister magic amalgamated together, arising temples, towers, mosques, all connected by long platforms, directly above the denizens of the ancient desert. The constructions were rigid; black blocks of stone in quadratic shapes with no windows; and crimson runes in a forgotten tongue were engraved in the dark walls. Not a single curved roof, or arched column prevailed to soften the view of these malevolent facades. Even the entrances to the temples were shaped in hard lines of a pentagon.</p><p>The light of the sun began dimming away as twilight descended; the temblor persisted as more and more buildings towered next to one another, forming a stronghold. Giant c'thrax and n'raqi were seen patrolling the platform, alongside other entities of the Black Empire; once again aqir swarmed above, and twilight dragons darkened the nefarious sky with their presence.</p><p>The earthquake discontinued once the final bastion arose. It was a tall, massive citadel, seen from afar, wavering over the waters of the ocean. Once the wave of void completed the concluding construction, a morbid large eye emerged from the wall of the citadel. It glowed in an eerie orange light, and blinking slowly as it surveyed His domain.</p><p>
  <em>"Watch as my empire consumes your reality. Soon, all will be one."</em>
</p><p>The growling voice echoed, deafening throughout the entire desert of Uldum. It was so commanding and vociferous, that it caused Niall to collapse on his knees. The young paladin recruit grunted; he shivered from the cold and reached out to cover his ears from the Deep One's beckon. Nonetheless, he lifted his head once more, to gaze upon the horrific sight which now hovered above the whole Uldum.</p><p>The city of old, terrible, unnumbered crimes. The fragment of the Black Empire.</p><p>Niall exhaled cold air; his entire body continued to tremble and his eyes refused to blink.<br/><em>"This is it."</em> He thought.</p><p>
  <em>Ny'alotha.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Descent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"<em>In the sleeping city of Ny'alotha walk only mad things..."</em></p><p>The sound of twilight dragons roaring all-mighty, and their wings thrashing loudly in the sky, caused Wrathion to snap into reality. He glanced up towards the horrific beasts; once they were his kin. Now, they were creatures of N'Zoth, twisted in doing His bidding instead of that of the Titans. To doom Azeroth, instead of nurturing her.<br/>The dragon felt his heart knotting at the thought, and his lips curled in disgust the longer he glared at them.</p><p>Then the Black Prince directed his gaze towards his champions, who were executing the remaining wave of enemies on the platform. Tieria, Lorga and Felassan were daringly standing before everyone - taunting the minions of the Black Empire towards them; the others would instantaneously leap into the combat as soon as the fiends would be in their range. Whereas those who had skills to fight from afar, such as Rehgar and Haliki, would shoot down the a'qir which darkened the skies with their presence. The dark blood of the deceased Ny'alotha minions stained the crimson platform, as well as the weapons and armor of the Black Prince's champions.</p><p>Wrathion blinked, for a brief moment he forgot that <em>he </em>was supposed to lead this charge. However, he found himself frozen in place, allowing Rehgar and Lorga to order everyone, including himself. The dragon did not want to admit it, not even to himself - but he felt overwhelmed standing only miles away from the Corruptor.<br/>He heard His whispers, His call. It rang in the dragon's mind far louder than before; promises of power, narration of his ruling as an Emperor. They were tempting recitals, but Wrathion did not allow to succumb. He did not come this far only to fall to N'Zoth's grasp like a moth drawn to a flame.</p><p>"Push forward!" Cried out Rehgar while jumping over a bleeding body of a n'raqi. "We gained ground, now we press for the citadel!" The orc pointed his fist-weapon towards the large temple, which poised far into the horizon, directly above the waters. That was the Black Prince and his champions final destination; which they had to cross the entirety of Ny'alotha, carpeted with n'raqi, a'qir and other fiends to reach to.</p><p>Wrathion shivered while his eyes peered at the horizon. The air in Uldum grew colder and colder the longer the Sleeping City dwelled above the dessert. The dragon briefly wondered how this icy environment will affect such a hot land like Uldum. But soon enough, the Black Prince tossed away that insignificant thought, and fixated on the task at hand: battling N'Zoth and his infernal minions.</p><p>The moment the veil was taken down, and the Sleeping City dawned in the realm of Azeroth - a war erupted in the desert. The battle stretched beyond the platforms of Ny'alotha; the servants of the Black Empire swiftly commenced to assault the lands of Uldum; to bring terror to its denizens, binding them to the will of N'Zoth; and of course - to conqueror the Forge of Origination.<br/>Luckily, the forge was in no danger yet, since it would be impossible even for N'Zoth himself to activate it, considering that the core of the machine was removed and hidden safely in an underground sanctuary.</p><p>That particular aspect bought some time for those who were about to clash toe to toe with N'Zoth. Nonetheless, should Wrathion and the rest fall in bringing down the Corruptor - further lands of Kalimdor, as well as the other continents of Azeroth, would succumb to the Black Empire and N'Zoth would have his goal achieved even without the use of the Forge.<strong><br/></strong>And as Rehgar has just declared, they have merely gained ground on the city which dwelled in the skies; after already fighting off countless aberrations.</p><p>Rehgar was about to give another command, but the gladiator-shaman was interrupted by the sound of an a'qir flying into his direction. The orc swiftly turned to face the soaring foe, but it was brought down by Felassan tossing his warglaive into the insectoid, slashing its body in half. The sharp, slightly curved warglaive with green runes painted on the blade, returned into the demon hunter's hand as if by command.</p><p>Rehgar gave Felassan a nod of gratitude, but the Illidari kaldorei did not give him a response, instead, he spoke to the entire group:<br/>"We have wasted too much time slaying these fiends!" Gritted Felassan between his fanged teeth while tightening the grip of his warglaives. "I say we leave the Tol'vir to fight the aberrations, while we acquire aerial mounts and fly towards the citadel N'Zoth is in!" His nostrils flared while he pointed to the large, dark citadel which laid far into horizon; where the Old God was unmistakably abided in.</p><p>"We can't, lad!" Scolded Speaker Magni. The Diamond King held his famous mace, Fearbreaker, tightly in both of his crystal hands. "Not yet." Magni paused to watch how everyone gathered closer to him. Before resuming to speak, he rested the head of Fearbreaker on the ground. "We need tae find some prominent landmarks tae place the anchors, so M.O.T.H.E.R can focus the Forge from the Chamber of Heart which will blast N'Zoth."<br/>"The anchors?" Repeated Felassan with a scrunched up expression; the demon hunter briefly turned his head to the sides, witnessing Tieria and even Lorga displaying confusion on their faces. It seemed he was not the only one who was omitted from a part of their plan.</p><p>Speaker Magni reached out to the black satchel which was attached to his right shoulder and rested by his hip. With both of his hands he pulled out thick golden disks, made out of bronze, but a quarter of them was covered in glass. Each of them glowed in an eerie light, similar to the orbs from the Forge of the Origination.</p><p>"Four anchors." Counted Farseer Lorga the amount of disks stacked in Speaker Magni's hands.<br/>"M.O.T.H.E.R gave 'em ta me before I left fer Uldum." Began the Diamond King. "She has connected the Chamber of Heart tae all known Titan facilities on Azeroth, and these disks come from each of 'em."<br/>"Uldaman, Ulduar, Uldir and Uldum." Numbered Farseer Lorga, her eyes blinked rapidly wondering if she had named the facilities correctly. Once Magni gave her a nod, the orc untensed.</p><p>Magni placed a hand above the disk as he held them gently. The faint gleam which emitted from the Titan objects highlighted Magni's diamond features in a warm, golden light.<br/>"The closer we place 'em tae N'Zoth - the better. But we have ta make sure he or his minions cannot touch 'em; and once they're set, M.O.T.H.E.R be ready tae fire."<br/>"More items ta hide away from N'Zoth? I think we can handle that." Chuckled Caradin, referring to the fact that the group has been hiding away from the Corruptor in the underground sanctuary, and have even succeeded in secluding from Him the ability to use the Forge of Origination.</p><p>"We spread out." Proposed Lorga; due to her harsh tone, her words resonated akin to a command rather than a proposition. "West." She said while directing her arm towards a large mosque which lingered to her left side; then she guided her hand to point to the right side and breathed: "And East." She crossed her arms, and turned back to face her comrades. "We secure one anchor inside the construction, and a second one on the outside terrace. And we decimate whatever resides inside."</p><p>"Are you certain we should separate?" Intervened Tieria, while glancing at the group and numbering in her mind how many of them were present. "We are few in numbers, and we do not know the mass of creatures which might lie inside those citadels."<br/>"Tieria is correct." Finally intervened Wrathion. He walked away from the edge of the platform he stood at, and approached the group. "Everyone relies on <em>us </em>to take down N'Zoth, I would avoid having you spread throughout this abysmal realm and risk losing any of you."</p><p>"Make a decision soon. We have company." Implored Felassan impatiently. The demon hunter's mouth set in a hard line as he assumed a battle-pose, eagerly waiting to have his warglaives drink more blood of minions of the Old God. With a motion of his head, the Illidari gestured towards a group of qiraji, the large insectoid creatures which were commonly seen in Silithus, rushing towards their direction.<br/>The insectoids charged towards Wrathion and the others with utter haste, there were many of them - too many to count - all of them were running with determination towards their mortal enemies.</p><p>As the champions arranged themselves into a line, preparing themselves to fight the approaching mass, the qiraji group suddenly ceased from running and glanced at the small flying a'qir which was suddenly brought down by a dagger flying into its forehead.<br/>Like an eagle flying to its prey, a thin silhouette, which seemed to lead this charge, leaped above the largest qiraji, plunging the daggers into its head as deeply as possible. The Black Empire minions could not even commence to analyze their slain ally, as a wave of arcane magic began bombarding them; flooding them into a vortex of conjured magical essence.</p><p>Wrathion blinked, stunned at what had just happened. He wanted to further examine the silhouette who had just taken down their foe, but as multiple shadows cloaking the crimson sun, the dragon directed his eyes to the above.<br/>Proto-drakes, beasts from the cold lands on Northrend swarmed above the Sleeping City. Their riders were short, but wide silhouettes. They cheered as the pack of insectoids were collapsing on the dark floor, trembling in pain.<br/>The sight of those feral, long-forgotten forebears of the dragon species - made Wrathion realize what has just occurred.</p><p>"Calthaire!" Exclaimed the Black Prince. He approached the kaldorei who had just slain the qiraji and stood atop its breathless body. A grin formed on the dragon's lips as he witnessed more of his Blacktalon agents dismounting the proto-drakes. The same agents who have survived the long and complicated mission in Northrend to activate the Forge of Wills.</p><p>The Blacktalon night elf gave a small grin to her master while stroking away the strands of her jade hair which covered her eye, while glancing down at the rest of her companions joining to stand next to her.<br/>Ranulf, the only mage from Wrathion's entire Blacktalon organization, gave a bow to the Black Prince; the tips of his fingers still radiated with purple essence of the magic he had just casted down upon the Black Empire minions.</p><p>"It was easier to find you than we thought." Breathed Calthaire, her modest smile still lasting on her plum violet lips. "We simply had to follow the mass of dead aberrations."<br/>"H-how did-" Tieria begin to form her question, but Calthaire swiftly delivered an explanation:<br/>"After you left to rescue the Master," Began the kaldorei rogue; her hands rested on her hips, and she did not seem to mind standing atop a broken body of the qiraji humanoid. "We continued the mission to activate the Forge of Origination. Fortunately we did not encounter anything that would halt the task. But soon enough the region of Ulduar was attacked by these same creatures." She turned to look at Wrathion as she spoke her next sentence. "The army of the Alliance aided us to push the assault, and have remained there to defend Ulduar and the Forge."</p><p>Tieria and Wrathion found themselves exchanging looks of delight. Their devotion to succeed in this crusade, by gathering allies and coordinating reliable strategy, was at last paying off.<br/>"Anduin kept to his promise." Declared Wrathion in a grin while roaming the templar's shining eyes.<br/>Delight dawned on Tieria's delicate face upon witnessing Calthaire and the rest surviving; she could tell from Wrathion's gaze that the dragon was relieved at the sight of his agents.</p><p>"We swiftly returned to the Ebon Rest, only to find our comrades telling us that you have left to Uldum, hence we immediately came here." Continued Calthaire; her smile abruptly vanished while her features darkened. "And as we were flying, we felt the earth trembling and the air growing cold… Then we saw the silhouette of this place." She shivered lightly, her eyes shined with uneasiness. "You can see <em>His </em>realm all the way from Dustwallow Marsh and perhaps even further."</p><p>Wrathion pressed his lips thinly against one another. If what Calthaire said was true - then it means many denizens from southern Kalimdor might know of what has transpired and were probably alarmed. It would not be too long until word would reach out throughout all of Azeroth, and every soul would know that the Corruptor dwells on their realm.</p><p>To have the news of the veil between Ny'alotha and Azeroth being torn down did not worry Wrathion. In fact, the dragon hoped that more denizens of Azeroth would pick up arms to fight against the Old God's forces, if they knew that their world was in peril.<br/>Nonetheless, Wrathion was certain that the former Dragon Aspects, namely Alexstrasza, would seek to blame the black dragon for this incident, and perhaps even dare to interfere with his own strategy to defeat the Corruptor.</p><p>This particular thought indoctrinated the Black Prince that the assault on the Ny'alotha had to conclude today, before anything or anyone can intervene; <em>nothing </em>should stop him from facing and carnage the fiend who is responsible for countless atrocities, including the corruption of his father and kin.</p><p>While the Blacktalon rejoined their master, the other riders dismounted from the proto-drakes; they revealed themselves to be dwarves with icy-blue skin, hair of only dark colours, and thick cobalt armor. The runes tattooed on their faces, as well as their attire and weapons caused Wrathion to swiftly recognized them; but when a particular dwarf stepped in front of Calthaire, the black dragon knew how to address him by name:</p><p>"Fjorlin?" Called Wrathion in a surprised and yet warm tone upon seeing the Frostborne dwarf. The young Frostborne formed a large grin between his beard and gave a nod of greeting to the Black Prince.<br/>"Velog Icebellow and his Frostborne wished to join our cause." Explained Calthaire, her smiling returning on her face as she glanced down at the Northrend dwarf. "Fjorlin is leading the charge."<br/>"Aye." Nodded the son of Velog Icebellow. "Me father sends his regards and informs that the Frostborn dwarves will gladly be to yer aid!" Saluted the young Icebellow proudly while hitting his fist into his chest.</p><p>It certainly lifted Wrathion's spirits to see more individuals flying under his wing to join his cause to fight for Azeroth. The dragon once aided the very Fjorlin Icebellow by liberating him from a certain death by the hands of a yeti. And the Frostborne dwarves have repaid their debt to the Black Prince and his allies by rescuing them for the unmerciful blizzard, which trapped them at the bottom of the mountains in Storm Peaks.</p><p>But it was uplifting to witness brave and noble souls, traveling across the world, in order to engage in a battle which determined the fate of the world.</p><p>There was one more practical aspect to having the Frostborne army present; and before Wrathion could mention it out loud, Farseer Lorga declared it:<br/>"We now have doubled our numbers." Elaborated the shaman to Wrathion and Tieria. "It allows us to spread out to station the anchors."<br/>"Indeed." Asserted Wrathion firmly. "We will lead with your strategy, Farseer-"</p><p>"Wrathion!" Screeched an arrogant female voice from the skies. The proto-drakes began howling in both taunt and fear at the sudden presence of a grand twilight dragon flying above the group. She was a void-twisted being, her scales shined in a hollow purple color, and her black eyes glared at Wrathion. "Your father proved incapable of resisting the Old Gods, little whelp. Such hubris to think you would fare any better!"</p><p>Wrathion took a daring step forward, returning the hate-filled glare to the twilight dragon. A vein popped out of his neck in irritation at the words this beast was spewing to him:<br/>"You dare march upon the Master's world, impostor Earth-Warder!" She battered her wings, gradually flying in reverse away from everyone. "You will fall like your pathetic dragonflight!"</p><p>Her long neck began darkening as she took in a deep breath. Fumes began leaving her nostrils and she opened her mouth as widely as possible.<br/>Wrathion swiftly caught up on the twilight dragon's intentions; he reached out to grab Tieria's arms and leaped with her to the side while simultaneously ordering everybody to scatter and hide from the unforgiving fireblast which was bursting from the dragon's mouth.</p><p>To some mystifying luck, they succeeded in dodging the scorching attack. Wrathion watched the void flames dying out upon the ground, while still tightly holding down Tieria. He swiftly glanced down at the paladin, who was soaking in what had just occurred. Once their eyes met, Tieria mouthed that she was not harmed, which Wrathion replied with a nod.</p><p>Unwilling to give the chance to the twilight dragon to fire, Wrathion jumped on his feet and began shouting his command:</p><p>"Calthaire, you and Magni lead our people to the western wing, Speaker Magni shall tell you the details." Addressed the Black Prince with haste. Despite her dazed expression, Calthaire nodded to her Master. Then, Wrathion looked at Farseer Lorga who stood across from him on the other side of the platform. "Farseer, Tieria - " He gestured his hand towards his champions who were getting back on their feet. "All you take the east wing. Frostborne, with me!" As he shouted to the dwarves, Wrathion began approaching the platform with hasting steps "We take to the skies!"</p><p>The Black Prince leaped in the air and assumed his dragon form. He spread his black wings widely and soared towards the twilight dragon, who was already preparing to breathe out a second blast of void-fire. With a swing of his clawed hand and a taunting roar, the black dragon interrupted the void-twisted creature, getting her attention to him. The two drakes locked themselves in a hectic duel, buying time for Wrathion's champions to spread out to begin Lorga's strategy.</p><p>Magni twirled two of the anchor disks in the air, one aiming towards Felassan and the second one to Caradin. Then, the Diamond King took off to the west side, alongside Calthaire and the Blacktalons; but not before shouting the commands to activate the anchors to the other group.<br/>Felassan gave the anchor to Caradin, who stashed both of the devices safely in the satchel he carried.</p><p>"You heard the dragon!" Rehgar's voice roared towards the remaining party. "We go east! Hurry!"</p><p>The group consisting of: Felassan, Caradin, Haliki, Lorga, Rokash, Maxwell, Niall, Rehgar and Tieria began running down the stairs which led to the lower platform and the entrance of the large temple which lingered on the east side whilst preparing to fight off the group formed of a mixture of n'raqi, a'qir, qiraji and even mortal cultists which blocked their path.</p><p>The echoing bellows of a dragon caused Tieria's heart to skip a beat and turned to look back to survey the sky which was Wrathion's battlefield. The twilight dragon who taunted the Black Prince was attempting to retreat, but Wrathion was not so reluctant to allow her to escape. The Frostborne dwarves, while mounted on their proto-drakes, aided Wrathion in his combat, by launching harpoons in the massive dragon, and the lesser twilight drakes as well.</p><p>Tieria's eyes remained lingering on the magnificent black dragon who fought for Azeroth. His wings fluttered with strength, his ebon scales dazzled against the light of the sun, and his robust roar caused the templar to shiver in both fear and exhilaration.</p><p>As if he felt Tieria's gaze upon him, Wrathion turned his head at her. His crimson eyes locked into hers, and it brought a small smile on the templar's lips. He gently blinked at her, as if he reassured Tieria of their success.<br/>At that moment, Tieria wished she could have her own set of wings, to fly towards the black dragon and kiss him with all the passion she held in her heart. But instead, the templar settled for smiling at Wrathion from afar; she will kiss him later, after they have earned their victory and erased Ny'alotha from existence.</p><p>The Black Prince roared at the paladin, urging her to catch up to her allies. Tieria swiftly turned her head, to view her comrades entering the large black temple. Wrathion gave her another slow blink, before trashing his wing powerfully, sending a wind towards Tieria's direction and flying away to resume chasing after the twilight dragon.</p><p>"Be safe." Urged Tieria softly. She gave Wrathion one final look, watching him from afar, while tightening the grip of her longsword and pushing aside any fear which resided inside of her. With her heart filled with determination, the templar hasted to rejoin her comrades, to put an end to the Corruptor.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>"You will heed the call of the Corruptor..."</em>
</p><p>Niall cursed in his mind as he tripped and fell on his knees. He swallowed heavily before lifting his face up to look at his companions. It seemed that his stumbling did not alarm them, nor caused anyone to stop for him; aside from Tieria.</p><p>The templar approached Niall, who still remained on his knees, with a compassionate smile on her rose-pink lips. She reached out to grab his arm, and aided in to stand back on his feet.<br/>A crisp red blush of embarrassment adorned Niall's cheeks as soon as he made eye contact with Tieria.</p><p>Since this assault has commenced, Niall has done nothing but disappoint his companions by either failing to deliver a final blow to a foe, or having himself become injured by even the tiniest aqir.<br/>He felt as if something was constantly dragging him down, and Niall wondered if it was the overwhelming feeling of such a dreadful battle caused him to perform so poorly.</p><p>"Do not relent." Commanded Tieria softly while resting her hands atop Niall's arms and gently squeezing his arms through his chainmail. "You can push it through."<br/>Niall simply nodded at his paladin comrade, his fingers rested on his temples as he felt a heavy migraine forming.<br/>The Silver Hand templar inhaled deeply, attempting to push away any nausea and dreadful feeling which lingered in his youthful mind and body. Then he gave Tieria a determined nod and pleaded her to catch up with the rest.</p><p>"<em>I can do it." </em>Thought Niall to himself while running alongside with Tieria through the appalling and dark corridor.</p><p>Tieria and Niall swiftly caught up with the group; and together, they continued to advance, staining the ground and walls of the temple with the black blood of N'Zoth's minions. The creatures were certainly overpowered now that they lingered in their own realm. But it did not stop the Black Prince's champions, it merely slowed them down.</p><p>Being inside the constructions of Ny'alotha was just as dreadful and standing on its platform. The air was cold and the smell of ash intoxicated them. The walls were black and rigid, and poorly lit. But what caught the attention of the group was the agonizing female screams which echoed in those hallowed halls. The woman wails of pain resounded endlessly, like a bird screeching for its broken wing.</p><p>Everyone halted from walking, fixating their attention on the cries and discovering that the source was in the chamber which laid at the end of the vast hallway they were in.<br/>Mutely, Lorga gestured with her head towards the direction of the screaming voice, to which the group silently nodded in agreement.</p><p>As they followed the wailing of pain, Niall's entire body shivered. Was this N'Zoth's process to force one to succumb to his will? Was every mortal cultist who they fought until now mere broken souls, who gave in to the Old God's crusade only to be able to escape the tortures?</p><p>The young recruit swallowed heavily, trying to push away that horrific thought and hasted his steps to walk closer to the group. Everyone had their weapons unsheathed as they rushed through the tall temple, following the echoing cries of the tortured maiden.</p><p>Before entering the particular chamber, Lorga ordered for everyone to crouch. They entered one by one, careful and silent as not to attract the attention of whoever resided inside that room.<br/>Stairs led to a lower platform, allowing everyone to hide efficiently from the two souls who were present in the hexagon-shaped podium. Another set of stairs was seen across of them, seemingly leading to another chamber. But for the moment, Tieria and the others fixated on the chamber they were currently in.</p><p>In the very center, a ring of void flame was situated and egregious orange eyeballs were wavering above it. Dark purple chains broke out from the orbs, shackling down a tall aquatic creature. The curved waist and the ample chest, as well as the moans of pain which echoed out of the lowered head, determined that the anchored being was a female. Three tentacles sprouted instead of legs, and she had four sets of arms, covered in a teal-shaded skin and fish scale.</p><p>The second figure stood outside the void prison, cladded in large robes and dark plate shoulderpads and gauntlets.<br/>Nobody from the group had their attention on the jailer, everyone's eyes were set on the prisoner.</p><p>"Is that-" Lorga turned to Rehgar, but she could never finish to deliver the question to her mate since Felassan delivered the answer.<br/>"Queen Azshara." Gritted the demon hunter between his teeth. Lorga found herself turning to Felassan, examining the demon hunter's stone features. She noticed his revealed muscles tensing at the sight of the naga Queen.</p><p>Once the beloved ruler of the Kaldorei Empire over ten thousand years ago, Queen Azshara was entrancingly beautiful and beloved by her people before her times as a naga. Every kaldorei knew her name, even an Illidari.<br/>But the tightness in his body and his contorted face, made Lorga ponder on Felassan's age, and whenever he was alive during the era Queen Azshara bargained with the Burning Legion and brought doom upon her people, as well as the whole of Azeroth.</p><p>"And that's the bitch who tortured Wrathion." Hissed Tieria while having her gaze fixated on the human female figure who walked around the crying Queen Azshara. The templar's volume forced Caradin to scold her by grumbling "<em>Shh!"</em>.</p><p>"Why is she being tortured? She took part in freeing N'Zoth from his prison." Grumbled Rehgar in a whisper.<br/>"Now be not the time for questions." Chided Haliki in the same low-volume. "We need ta clear this place and activate the anchor."<br/>"Or we search fer another location." Suggested Caradin, while clutching close to him the satchel in which the anchor disks were in.</p><p>A large bolt of flame flew towards their direction, interrupting the group's muffle conversation. The spell hit into the pillar by the entrance, causing the wall to fracture and shoot down some of the black bricks.<br/>"You fools are lousy spies!" Yelled out the unmistakable strident voice of Xanesh. The cultist leader had her right arm extended before her as she channeled another fireblast in her palm. Through her slick hair, the woman glared at the champions who were on the higher platform of the room.</p><p>"This doesn't have to end in bloodshed!" Recited Maxwell poetically while rising on his feet to face Xanesh. "You are outnumbered! Lay down your weapon and you may yet walk from this place."<br/>"I did not agree on that." Grumbled Lorga while shooting a glare to the Silver Hand champion and sheathing out her axes, preparing for an unavoidable battle.<br/>"Oh? You think you have me outnumbered?" Laughed Xanesh. She lifted her hands to the sides as void magic began swirling around her pale, dry fingers.</p><p>Tieria and the rest did not wait to watch what foul magic Xanesh was about to release. They leaped from the upper platform, charging towards the female warlock. Most likely, due to either Maxwell's speech or Xanesh's addressing to the group, more cultists emerged from the other entrance, swarming inside the chamber.<br/>A combat erupted on the platform which held Azshara's prison. Everyone clashed their weapons or magic against the cultists and the k'thir mutants.</p><p>"Release me! Only I possess the means of defeating N'Zoth!" Cried out Azshara amidst the battle which surrounded her.<br/>"Do hold your hopes too high, Azshara!" Spat Felassan after cutting off the head of a k'thir, which followed by the naga Queen delivering him a hiss.</p><p>The mass of cultists allowed Xanesh to finalize her spell. She waved her arms towards the upper platform her minions emerged from, and watched as her void magical began constructing a large silhouette.<br/>In less than a second, a c'thrax - monstrous warbringers of the Black Empire - appeared before them. The creature possessed arthropod-like features, and it was known for its great strength and brutal intellect.</p><p>The giant c'thrax announced its presence by releasing an earth-trembling screech. It charged like a bull towards the group, while some of them succeeded to dodge - Tieria, Maxwell, Niall and Haliki managed to be caught in his claw arm. The creature ran into the wall, making its way into another chamber.<br/>As Felassan and Caradin were about to charge into the other room to rescue their comrades, Xanesh sealed the unorthodox entry with a wall of void magic, making it impenetrable to pass.</p><p>"<em>I</em> will deal with you!" Scolded Xanesh while aiming a blast towards the demon hunter and the Argent Crusade sergeant.<br/>"They will be fine." Reassured Felassan to Caradin. "We have to settle things with this bitch."<br/>"Aye." Agreed Caradin in a grunt.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>"Insanity spreads... Void approaches... Delirium claims you..."</em>
</p><p>Tieria blinked at the void wall which separated her from the other comrades. It seemed Xanesh planned on separating the group, in order to gain the upper hand in battle; nonetheless, it did not alarm the templar. She and Maxwell swiftly leaped away from the c'thrax's grip with the help of Haliki's sunfire spell which was casted into the creature's unproportioned small eyes.</p><p>As the giant c'thrax screeched in its low voice - causing the entire chamber to tremble once more - Tieria summoned a hammer of Light into her left hand and tossed with fierce certainty into the c'thrax's right knee. The Light-infused weapon hit its scale leg, causing it to fear the pain of the searing Light and physical harm of the hammer itself.</p><p>The c'thrax vehemently cries grew louder; the pain Tieria delivered to him distracted the aberration, and made it release Haliki and Niall from its crab-shaped claw. The Zandalari druid and the young Silver Knight recruit rushed to join the other two paladins; but not before doing some damage to their giant foe.</p><p>Haliki called to the nature as he gracefully lifted his arms in the air. The tips of his blue fingers gradually began lighting up with sparkles of sun-rays; and as he leaped in the air towards Tieria and Maxwell, the troll directed his hand towards the c'thraxxi stomach and blasted his solar magic into the creature.</p><p>Niall was slightly less… ostentatious than Haliki. The young recruit, with a firm grip of his sword, plunged the thorium blade as deeply as possible into the large foot of the c'thrax. Black ooze spilled out of its wound, splashing itself all over Niall's sword and armor. The smell of the c'thraxxi liquid was so foul and so powerful, Niall felt as if he was about to throw up every meal he has ever had in his life.</p><p>While the c'thrax was distracted by the continuous pain, Niall finally reunited with the others, who were now standing at the very end of the room. He ran behind Maxwell, already hyperventilating and sweating excessively.<br/>"Don't give it a break!" Ordered Maxwell. He tightened the grip of his mace in one hand, and the shield in the other; and as he charged, the Silver Hand champion yelled out: "Strike it down!"</p><p>Despite its broken appearance, the c'thrax was not as weakened as they thought. It extended its claws to the sides and began channeling a void cast. As it generated the dark spell, it growled tauntingly towards its mortal foes.<br/>The c'thrax slammed its massive tail agitatedly, the spikes which emerged from the side of the tail, pursued to damage the bricks of the floor, and causing some debris to collapse from the ceiling.</p><p>Rain of void bolts began to aggressively descend down on the cracked floor once the c'thrax finished his cast. The room only continued to tremble, the ground cracked until the blocks finally broke into multiple pieces, forming openings of various sizes throughout the entire floor of the chamber.<br/>The void sparks which landed on the ground, took the shape of a monstrous aberration, which had nothing but a head for a body and tentacles to use to navigate.</p><p>The small void spawns continued to appear in mass, each one of them rushed with haste towards Tieria and the rest. The champions remained in their position, to avoid running into one of the multiple gaps. Should one of them fall, they would descend from a high altitude and would most likely meet their end by collapsing their body on the harsh sand of the Uldum.</p><p>Together, the four of them took down as many void spawns as possible. Tieria and Maxwell took care of those coming from the front, while Haliki and Niall slashed down the ones of the sides.<br/>But, albeit the void aberrations were small, and could be easily struck down with a simple slap of the Light and a slash of a sword, soon enough they were becoming overwhelmed, and cornered. Forcing Tieria to conjure a light barrier to temporarily shield her allies from the relentless waves of enemies.</p><p>"Dere be too many of 'em!" Cried out Haliki. The troll peered at the void manifestations through Tieria's protective Light bubble. Fortunately the Light shield allowed them to be safe from the swarm, but it was only a matter of time until they succeeded to tear it down.<br/>"We have to stop the big one!" Tieria breathed out while holding her hands above her, pressing her palms tightly against the barrier she kept subsisting. "As long as it keeps on channeling its spell, these ones won't stop spawning!"</p><p>A wave of the c'thraxxi void blast smashed itself atop the Light barrier, giving the sensation that the shield was about to break itself into multiple pieces, like a shattering glass. It was an obvious call that they had limited time to hide underneath the safety of the Light.</p><p>"I be cuttin' us a wey to da beast!" Informed Haliki while addressing Maxwell; then the Zandalari troll turned to Tieria and Niall. "Ya two watch our backs!"<br/>The situation did not allow anyone to consider another strategy; the three paladins nodded at Haliki, waiting for the druid to launch his plan.</p><p>The Zandalari troll shut his eyes, and once again called to the nature. Green and yellow wisps began forming around his body as his silhouette began deforming before the paladins. Spikes were emerging from his back, as well as a tail; he assumed a position on his all-fours, while his skin hardened. The green magic which enveloped Haliki vanished in thin air, and the tall, muscular Zandalari troll was no longer. Instead, an ankylodon, a scalehide dinosaur, which had the body of a turtle and the resilience of a kodo, growled before Tieria and the rest.</p><p>Haliki's animal form was Tieria's signal to take down the shield. She exhaled deeply while ceasing away her cast; and as soon as they were no longer surrounded by a sphere of gleaming light, Haliki and Maxwell took off towards the c'thrax, slamming and pushing the void spawns into the openings of the floor or stepping on them akin crushing an insect.</p><p>Tieria plunged her longsword into an aberration which crawled close to her foot; with her free hand, she summoned a Light blast, smiting as many fiends as possible. She concentrated on fulfilling her task to keep Maxwell and Haliki safe from the swarm of minions; but her attention was broken upon hearing the sound of a sword smashing against the floor from behind of her.</p><p>"I can't do it." Trembled Niall while shaking his head. The young recruit was seated on his behind, his fingers entangled in his golden hair. "It's too much!"<br/>"Niall-" Tieria jumped back on her knees and rested her hands gently atop Niall's shoulders. She looked into his teary eyes with a guilty expression. Guilty for not convincing Maxwell to not bring this boy into this dreadful battle. "Niall, you have to hold your vigil. The Light-"<br/>"The Light is evil! He says so-! His, His whispers… His dreadful voice keeps telling me so!"</p><p>Tieria blinked at the trembling young paladin whilst inhaling deeply. She picked up her sword, and slashed down another void manifestation which approached her and Niall while cursing out the fiend out loud.<br/>In those few seconds of pause, Tieria turned to look at Niall again. His face was drained away from its color, his eyes were red and he was shaking uncontrollably. The young man was clearly experiencing a form of mental breakdown; and Tieria found herself cussing at the inappropriate moment it happened.</p><p>Swiftly, the templar glanced back at the c'thrax, who was now battling Haliki and Maxwell and attempting to crush them with its massive claw arm. Its tail continued to bash agitatedly around, hitting the back wall and forming another gap. If it continued at this rate - the c'thrax would soon collapse the entire temple.</p><p>"Niall." Breathed Tieria both compassionate and severe. "You know how to channel a barrier?" She tightened her grip on him, gently rattling him as if she was attempting to shake an answer out of the young paladin. Niall gave her a hesitation nod, while his eyes were fixating on one of the floor openings near them. "You stay under the shield no matter what. Use your entire energy to keep up the barrier - I will keep the void manifestation away from you, as well as from Haliki and Maxwell." Ordered Tieria. Due to Niall's gaze being constantly directed on the gap, Tieria reached out to his chin, forcing him to look in her eyes.</p><p>His pupils were inhumanly dilated; Tieria had a sour taste in her mouth as she told herself that Niall would most likely not survive this. The templar was well aware that she was most likely leaving him to die the moment she would turn her back at him.<br/>But sadly - such were the circumstances.</p><p>
  <em>"Strike down your allies and begin your true ascension..."</em>
</p><p>Tieria was about to get herself up on her feet, but as she rose up she felt a set of hands grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling the templar to the ground. She whimpered surprised as she was tightly held down by two hands wrapped around her neck.</p><p>"Niall!" Called Tieria breathlessly; she gasped while trying to pull away the suffocating grip. The templar struggled to free away, but the young recruit would not yield. He tightened his grip around her slim neck. Despite the difficulty to breath, Tieria still succeeded in breathing out some words: "What are you-"</p><p>"<em>Yes... You draw closer... ever closer."</em></p><p>Tieria's eyes suddenly filled with tears, and her eyes refused to blink. She heard <em>Him</em>. His voice was a growling shadow which turned her blood cold and halted her heart from beating.<br/>"Niall-" She addressed again.<br/>"Don't you see? <em>His'</em> is the only way!" Decreed Niall coldly.</p><p>He grabbed Tieria by her arms - and without a second thought - Niall leaped off, dragging the templar down with him through one of the gaps. Tieria cried out during the descent, but she was unable to hear her own screams due to the ringing noise which was suddenly screeching in her mind. It wasn't too long until their tragic fall was interrupted by two aqirs grabbing her and Niall and flying off towards one of the dark citadels of Ny'alotha.</p><p>"<em>At last... embrace the truth of shadow…"</em></p><hr/><p>Silence ventured in the depths as natural as flowers blooming in spring. The light which radiated faintly gave no comfort in the darkness; as it was meant to be. There was no comfort in the abyss - there should be no comfort in the abyss.<br/>Thus was the realm of twilight… The realm of the Deep One.</p><p>Tieria opened her eyes to witness nothing but darkness; with only a very faint light-ray shining perpendicularly on her. She turned her head to each side, only to be able to examine nothing but gloom. Her hair floated weightless around her; and the templar felt light, as if she was underwater. But she also felt <em>restrained</em>.<br/>She glanced down at her wrists and feet, but she failed to notice anything in the manner of shackles or rope; it caused her to feel more confused. Why could she breathe underwater? And why did she feel chained when nothing held her down?</p><p>The utter nothingness turned Tieria into a panic. She tried to retrace her steps, attempting to theorize how she ended up here. Niall pulled her down in the sheer of hysteria; the two paladins were descending from high altitude before being caught by flying aqir. Then she blinked - and woke up into this abyss.</p><p>But that didn't make sense. Something more should have happened in-between. She should have witnessed passing through a portal or a gate before reaching here. And where was Niall? And the aqirs which took them?</p><p>Tieria slowly floated into the unknown, blinking rapidly and constantly continuing to look at her surroundings, hoping to find anything amidst this darkness. Refusing to give up on hope just yet, the templar concentrated on calling to the Light to her aid. But with no use - she was powerless and alone in this realm. And with each passing second, the templar felt more and more lost.</p><p>Her heart skipped a beat when in a blink of an eye a fish floated before her. The creature's scales were a dark blue and violet tint, the tip of his large fins were shaded in an orange color. Animal fangs, almost wolf-like, spewed out from its lower jaw. And as it floated before Tieria, its three demon-appearing orange eyes stared into the paladin's frightened gaze.</p><p>She blinked at the fish; and the fish blinked at her in return. Disquieted - the two beings gazed upon each other. Sound seemed to be nonexistent in this realm, much like gravity or warmth.<br/>Tieria once again attempted to lift her arms, but whatever was shackled around her wrists tightly pulled her down.</p><p>"<em>What-?"</em> Tieria opened her mouth, but no words came out. She ended up staring at the fish with her mouth hanging open, while lightly floating as much as the invisible chains allowed her.<br/>"<em>Long have I watched you, Holy Knight." </em>Spoke the fish, in a low, echoing male voice. His monstrous jaw did not move, his words penetrated Tieria's mind while he remained swimming before the templar. "<em>You and others of your kind. I have called for you, alas - you have ignored me."</em></p><p>Tieria swallowed heavily. The voice was not of this world. It was dry and dark, causing one to even stop from breathing. Tieria's found herself curling her hands in fists as every fiber of her being tensed; she stood silent - with her eyes widely opened - watching her own reflection in the fish's orange eye which sprouted from his forehead.<br/>It was clear to Tieria that this entity was an ambassador of N'Zoth. Or perhaps even N'Zoth himself, shapeshifting into a less intimidating form. And that particular thought frightened the young paladin - never in her entire life has Tieria been more afraid.</p><p>"<em>Your crusade to defend Azeroth has reached its end. You shall no longer be a puppet of the Titans."<br/></em>"<em>I am no one's puppet."</em> Stated Tieria, wondering if the Corruptor could hear her own thoughts.<br/>"<em>You are more resilient than the young one. He joined me without hesitation. His weak heart saw my truth." </em>It recited grimly, floating ever slowly before the templar.<em><br/></em>"<em>Niall..." </em>Thought Tieria sorrowfully. Niall indeed, succumbed to the corruption before her very eyes, and she could have done nothing to prevent it.</p><p>N'Zoth hunted those despondent, those weak who wish to prove themselves to the mighty ones. And Niall was one of them. The young paladin wished nothing but to fight this hellish battle to prove to the Silver Hand paladins that he is worthy of the order. And N'Zoth captured that passion and twisted it to force Niall to serve His malevolent crusade.</p><p>As frightened as she was at that thought - and what N'Zoth intended to do to her - Tieria tried to keep a hardened expression, refusing to reveal her fear towards the particular fiend who had her trapped. Her lips curled in disgust towards the dark fish while she blinked away the tears of fear which formed in her eyes.</p><p>"<em>Join me… and herald the coming age."<br/></em>"<em>No." </em>Tieria's own voice echoed in her mind; she finally mustered the courage to deliver a glare towards the fish, but the creature remained passive.<br/>"<em>One way or another you will join me, Holy Knight." </em>The fish blinked emotionlessly. "<em><strong>My</strong></em> <em>vision will ascend."</em></p><p>Tieria lifted her eyes up, gazing upon the faint ray of blue light. She could try to swim for it, if only she could find a way to free herself from the binds. Once again, the templar called for the Light, while squirming as she tried to free herself; she would not let herself be taken by the Corruptor. Tieria ignored His voice ringing in her mind like an alluring melody.</p><p>She concentrated her focus on the Light, and the templar thought of anything and anyone who can lift her spirits: the sensation of a cat's soft fur brushing against her cheeks, her father preparing her a meal, Caradin's laughter at his own ludicrous humor, Elaine beautiful voice as she sang every evening in the Hearthglen's tavern, the enigmatic and yet, warm presence of Felassan by her side-</p><p><em>Wrathion</em>.</p><p>It seemed her state of ignorance angered N'Zoth, for Tieria suddenly felt something wrapping itself around her waist. The revealed part of her abdomen and back shivered at the sensation of a sticky and cold liquid gluing itself on her ivory skin.<br/>Tieria gasped mutely, glancing down to find that this time, the chains which held her down into this unworldly realm finally revealed themselves.</p><p>They were ugly, large, purple tentacles, tightly wrapped around her wrist, ankles and waist; they came out from the abyss, and it was impossible to see where their ends were.<br/>As soon as Tieria rested her eyes upon them - it aggravated her panic; and she swayed her entire body in an attempt to shake the tentacles off her. Her eyes remained shut, she still refused to look at the fish which continued to swim at a nonchalant pace.</p><p>"<em>I have dreamed your destiny, templar. And now, it shall become reality." </em>As N'Zoth breathed those words, the tentacles tightened their grip around Tieria; one of them reached out to tangle itself around her neck.<br/>Tieria's eyes widened in fear, tears broke away and began streaming down her cheeks; she realized she was being pulled down, and there was <em>nothing</em> she could do to free herself.</p><p>Lower and lower, she descended into the dark depths; Her eyes were fixed on the shimmering blue light until it was no longer visible to the paladin. Her body trembled and her heart was racing; soon, she felt out of breath, forcing her body to give in to the tentacles which guided her into the abyss.</p><p>"<em>At the bottom of the ocean even Light must die."</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Judgement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I cannot believe I actually pulled it through. It was so much fun to write it, especially since I have gotten lovely support from readers! Thank you!<br/>Keep an eye on my tumblr if you wish to know when I make an update! (Link in my profile)</p><p>Part II: The Wayward Chevalier is available! ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The roars of mighty dragons ever echoed in Ny'alotha.</p><p>A black dragon soared cunningly through the sky dominated by the Sleeping City. His wings trashed emphatically against the wind, and his crimson eyes were fixated on the twilight dragon, Vexiona. The twisted creature, who Wrathion assumed was tasked with disrupting the Black Prince and his champions' plan to bring down N'Zoth the Corruptor.<br/>However, he would not allow anyone, especially the Old God himself - to meddle with his plan to eradicate the Black Empire from the face of Azeroth. He has fought this battle for too long, and he was about to bring it to a gratifying end.</p><p>Wrathion inhaled sharply, feeling his throat warming up with an unforgiving breath of fire he was about to blast towards Vexiona. He hoped that this particular blow would put an end to the twilight dragon. The two beasts had dueled within the aqir-infested sky for what seemed eternity to Wrathion.<br/>Their claws dug into each other's flesh, staining their scales with their own blood, followed by their deafening roars of taunt. They breathed fire towards one another, bringing in heat to the icy environment N'Zoth was provoking.</p><p>But fortunately, The Black Prince had the upper hand in the battle.</p><p>Vexiona was bold, and the essence of the void N'Zoth empowered her with, has certainly made the dragon vigorous but also zealous; in the same manner as Wrathion saw himself in the vision in N'Zoth. The Black Prince <em>could </em>possess that power; only if he succumbed to the Old God's whispers, which continued to echo in his mind, like an enticing tune.</p><p>But despite the strength Vexiona possessed, Wrathion observed that she was nothing but a mind-twisted fiend, who had no sense of logic or strategy. She simply gushed her twilight fire left and right, because N'Zoth commanded her so.<br/>It was horrific to witness how an intelligent and mighty creature such as a dragon, could be turned into a mindless killing-machine. It pained Wrathion, and it pained him more knowing that he cannot do anything to rescue her from this corruption.</p><p>There was little knowledge of how one can be cured from the corruption of the void. Albeit there were certain hypothesizes that the Light can eradicate the void within a soul; various analysis committed by either the Titans or other ancient races, have shown that if the Light and the Void interact within one another - they abolish each other, and thus, killing the one who is in the possession of both of them. There were only there few who have mastered both essences - and often it was heard that those individuals have lost their way.</p><p>At that moment, Wrathion could not afford experimenting. In mere hours, the yet weakened N'Zoth succeeded in spreading his army to the borders of Uldum. The denizens of the desert fought relentlessly to defend their homeland - but as the Deep One was recovering his strength, his forces would also boost their powers.<br/>It was uncertain how long it would take the Old God to conquer the rest of Kalimdor - but the Black Prince did not desire to find out.</p><p>Ignoring the stinging pain of the cut on his cheek and belly, Wrathion exhaled a long fire-breath, scorching Vexiona's tail. The twilight dragon's cries once again echoed in the Sleeping City. She was losing this battle - it was almost too evident.<br/><em><br/>Perhaps victory was close at hand after all.</em></p><hr/><p>Xanesh was a ruthless opponent.</p><p>The human warlock would evade Lorga's spells by cowardly teleporting to the other side of the room with the use of her void magic; and would constantly shield herself under a barrier crafted of the same spell.<br/>But the leader of the Black Empire cultists would not only stand in the defense - she relentlessly blasted bolts of dark magic towards the Farseer, as well as would always attempt to chain her down.</p><p>It was proven fairly challenging to the shaman to keep up the fight; for Xanesh never stood in one place for too long, making it difficult for Lorga to either strike with her axes or aim a lava blast at the warlock. Another aspect which would affect Lorga's attention, were the screams of pain coming from the chained Queen Azshara, who even had the nerve to bicker to be set free.</p><p>The Farseer growled like a taunted wolf as she leaped onto a higher platform within the chamber, only to land her axes into the empty ground. Once again, Xanesh succeeded in dodging the orc's attack by vanishing to the other side of the room.<br/>From afar, Lorga witnessed the human warlock forming a grin on her pale face. It seemed that the cultist found this battle amusing.</p><p>While wiping away the sweat from her forehead, Lorga briefly glanced down at the battlefield which occurred on the lower platform of the accursed temple. Cultists surrounded the imprisoned Queen Azshara; their violet void magic swirled, darkening the ominous and poor-lit chamber. They fought against Rehgar and the others, hoping to strike down the intruders who dared to bring harm to their dark master.</p><p>The twilight spells flew around like hawks soaring for prey, and the sound the cast emitted resembled a tormented banshee; blood was sprayed on the broken floor and damaged walls. Dragon roars were ever heard echoing from the skies, and earthquakes would be present due to the c'thraxxi Xannesh had summoned in the other chamber.</p><p>
  <em>It was chaos.</em>
</p><p>Her momentary distraction caused Lorga to react too late to the wave of void blast which flew towards her. In the little time she had to counter, Lorga lifted her axes and crossed them before her face, shielding herself from the spell with the weapons. The cast hit her wrists, the sensation of void magic burning her skin made Lorga hiss in pain and foolishly drop her axes.</p><p>The Farseer gasped lightly as she watched the elementium weapons clouting against the edge of the crater on the ground and descending with great speed below the high grounds on Ny'alotha, until they were no longer seen. The shaman gritted between her teeth, and curled her weaponless hands.<br/>Xanesh teleported herself before the Farseer, and gave the orc another ugly, taunting smile through her chapped lips and yellowed teeth.</p><p>"Not so mighty without your axes, are you?" Laughed Xanesh upon witnessing Lorga's contorted face. But the warlock's teasing grin faded away abruptly as the debris and rocks which were ripped apart from the either the floor or the walls, attached themselves towards her legs, pinning down the warlock.</p><p>It was Lorga's turn to grin. Xanesh thought she was so clever by disarming Lorga, but the warlock seemed to have failed to realize that the axes were not the only weapons in the Farseer's arsenal. All Lorga needed was to have the warlock put in one place, and with the gratitude of Xanesh's smugness, the shaman achieved it.<br/>Xanesh gasped in shock, and desperately began to attempt to free herself for the stone chains. She tossed and pulled her legs with her entire strength, she even launched a void bolt into the rocks, which only resulted in burning a portion of her kilt. More stones removed themselves from the ground and arranged themselves around Xanesh's void bruised fingers.</p><p>"I am a shaman, you fool." Chided Lorga calmly, watching Xanesh absurdly trying to liberate herself from the grasp elements. "I don't need weapons to kill you."<br/>"M-my Master-" Stuttered Xanesh in a yet commanding voice. But she failed to finish her sentence as Lorga walked towards her with heavy steps and grabbed her neck with utter force.<br/>"Your Master will join you soon enough." Declared Lorga darkly while tightening her grip around the warlock's neck, blocking her from breathing. Xanesh couldn't even try to break free, as the heavy stones which were glued to her hands pulled her down.</p><p>The Farseer pulled back her free arm as she channeled a lighting bolt into her hand. Her palm began radiating with powerful and bright thunder. She slammed her hand into Xanesh's stomach, sending the might of the electrical element inside the body of the cultist. Xanesh screamed as lightning surged through her; she felt every muscle, every strand of hair and every drop of her blood burning in agony. Her final breath was met in indescribable pain, and she made no effort to hide it. The servant of N'zoth screamed her lungs out; her bat-like voice echoed vehemently within the temple's halls.</p><p>But Lorga did not even flinch at Xanesh's suffering. The orc remained gritting her teeth while keeping her hand pressed on the cultist's stomach, and channeling unmerciful thunder into her corrupted flesh. The bright, blue light of her own spell caused Lorga to narrow her eyes, almost shutting them tightly.<br/>Nearly the entire battlefield ceased from their combat to witness what was the source of the radiating glow within the chamber. Upon realizing that it was Xanesh suffering at the hand of Farseer Lorga, many of the cultists and some k'thir ran away from what they assumed was an inevitable defeat.</p><p>The lighting continued to strike through Xanesh's body, searing her skin, clothes and hair. Her eyes glimmered in the same blue light as the thunder itself. Scars were visibly forming on her burning skin, as her cries went on.<br/>One could not even begin to imagine the pain the warlock experienced.</p><p>The electrical rhythm within her brought Xanesh down. Her heart stopped from beating out of trauma, and her mind simply ceasing to function due to the searing pain.<br/>She fell to her side, without breathing or blinking. Smell of burnt flesh and hair intoxicated Lorga's nostrils as she glanced down in disgust at the withered cultist. In mere seconds, Xanesh became unrecognizable.</p><p>The other cultists continued to flee from the battle. Some of them threw themselves off the various openings on the floor, believing it is better to die at the height, rather than by the weapons of their enemies, or if they were fortunate - they would be caught by a flying aqir and transported to safety.<br/>Others simply ran into the deep halls of the partially destroyed temple, hoping that their foes would not be willing to chase after them. Only a few fools, especially the mortal cultists, dared to still put up a fight, and met their end either by Felassan's warglaives or Rehgar's sharp fist weapons infused with fire.</p><p>Silence did not dwell in this chamber, even after the battle had reached its finale. As Lorga began walking down the blood-stained stairs to reach the lower platform and reunite with her mate and companions, Queen Azshara, continued to screech:<br/>"Good! It seems the "<em>Champions of Azeroth"</em> are somewhat useful!" Spat the naga leader in a mocking tone.</p><p>With Xanesh's dead, so was her magic; hence Queen Azshara was no longer imprisoned by the void magic. Instead, she had regular steel chains sealed around her wrists and multiple tentacles, pinning down the Queen to the ground.</p><p>"Release me!" Commanded Azshara while glaring at Lorga. The Farseer walked silently until she stood next to Rehgar, her eyes ever locked into Azshara's.<br/>"Don't be so rapid in removing her chains!" Stated Felassan angrily. His body was still tense and he still stood a battle pose - as if another battle was about to occur between him and Queen Azshara.<br/>"Humph!" Hissed the naga Queen while pulling behind her a tentacle from her head which rested over her face.</p><p>"Isn't she a powerful mage? She should be able to get rid of those shackles herself now that they are no longer void-infused." Whispered Rehgar to Lorga, whose glare never left Azshara.<br/>"There's the possibility that those chains are enchanted to silence one's magic." Replied the Farseer in an equally hushed tone. Rehgar simply grunted in response, and turned his head once more to gaze upon Azshara, who was now being carefully approached by Caradin and Felassan.</p><p>"Keep me in these chains if you will!" Scolded Queen Azshara. "But know that only I have the knowledge to put an end to the Corruptor!"<br/>"Hah, a bold lie Azshara!" Laughed Felassan dryly, which made the naga queen throw him another hiss of displeasure.<br/>"The blade is the only weapon which can end His pathetic existence!" Recited the Queen in her elegant voice.<br/><br/>"'<em>The blade'</em>?" Repeated Lorga, her eyes narrowing as she delved into her own thoughts to untangle what Azshara had just said.<br/>"She's blabberin'!" Accused Caradin with his bushy blonde eyebrows knitted together. Much like Felassan, the Argent Crusade sergeant had his long-axe still unsheathed and ready to strike down Azshara should she dare to act… <em>heretical</em>. "We've got our weapon, there is nothin' stronger than a Titan-infused fire blast!"</p><p>Azhara gritted her teeth after releasing a long, exhausting sigh. She continued to attempt to break herself free from the chains with her physical strength but with no use; due to Xanesh's torture - the naga queen was drained from energy both physically as well as mentally.</p><p>"Don't you think the Titans would have killed the Old Gods instead of imprisoning them if they could?" Inquired Azshara rhetorically, yet again in a demeaning tone. "Whatever you plan on using against N'Zoth - I can assure you it will not work. Albeit the power of the Titan's might do <em>some </em>damage to him… It has to be an essence of the Black Empire itself which can completely eradicate Him from the face of the earth."<br/>"And you possess this weapon which can slay the Corruptor?" Interrogated Lorga, her voice was far calmer than Azshara's.<br/>Queen Azshara's lips curled into a half-smile, but it swiftly vanished away and her features began darkening in a grim expression.<br/>"I know the location of the Blade of the Black Empire-"</p><p>Earthquakes and blocks of stone beginning to collapse from the ceiling paused the Queen Azshara. The naga, alongside the others gazed upwards to witness what caused this sudden commotion. The bricks between the ceiling began cracking loudly, and before anyone could blink - a massive winged body dropped itself in the chamber.<br/>Luckily enough nobody was crushed underneath what seemed to be the unbreathing corpse of the large twilight dragon Wrathion fought against.</p><p>Everybody, including Queen Azshara, watched in surprise the deceased dragon while waiting for the earthquake her descent caused to discontinue. Debris and stone from the ceiling continued to collapse atop the beast. The loud sound of stones breaking apart as they hit the ground, caused one's ear to emit an irritating ringing sound.</p><p>A silhouette masked behind dark clouds of smoke, emerged from the gap of the ceiling which the dead twilight dragon has just formed. The figure revealed itself to be Wrathion, altering from his dragon form back into the half-elven appearance.<br/>The Black Prince landed atop his dead foe, a grin formed on his dark lips upon witnessing his comrades' attention on him.</p><p>Lorga found herself rolling her eyes. The black dragon had an affinity for delivering grand entrances, and it seemed even the situation where the fate of the world was being decided, was not halting Wrathion from behaving in that manner.<br/>Nonetheless, it was a relief to see the black dragon alive and emerging victorious from a battle against a powerful servant of N'Zoth.</p><p>Wrathion jumped off the breathless dragon. His left cheek was bleeding and his robe was torn around his abdomen, revealing a cut. But the Black Prince ignored his own wounds. His crimson eyes were fixated upon the chained Queen Azshara.<br/>He carefully approached her with light steps, silently he analyzed her every feature. The Queen also remained silent, fuming with anger for being interrupted by Wrathion's entrance. She watched as the dragon inspected her, and so did everyone else.</p><p>"Well, isn't that amusing?" Grinned Wrathion. "The mighty Queen Azshara, here, standing in shackles before mere mortals."<br/>"Mind your tongue, whelping!" Hissed Azshara, well aware who Wrathion was and his origins.<br/>"Would you truly address those who can free you in such a rude manner, Your Highness?" Replied the dragon teasingly. Azshara's glare upon the Wrathion intensified after his remark.</p><p>"She claims there is another weapon… The <em>only</em> weapon which can actually defeat the Corruptor." Intervened Farseer Lorga, wishing to have an effective conversation instead of listening to Queen Azshara's tiring commands and insults.<br/>"Talking as if I am not here, are we?" Added Azshara to which the Farseer replied by shooting her a glare.<br/>"A weapon?" Repeated Wrathion slightly intrigued; Lorga easily delivered the answer:<br/>"The Blade of the Black Empire."</p><p>Wrathion blinked rapidly at the naga Queen, as if that particular action would allow him to clearly understand what specifically Azshara was talking about. But the faint whispers he ever heard from the dagger told him that the dragon's assumption was correct. They were talking about <em>the </em>blade.</p><p>The Black Prince reached out to the inner pocket of his coat. Once again, he felt as if he was commanded to proceed in such a manner, rather than deciding to perform the action out of his own conscience.<br/>He shuddered lightly once his fingers wrapped themselves around the hilt of the dark dagger; then he slowly began dragging it out of his pocket, watching his companions and even Queen Azshara, looking at him in suspense.</p><p>"This?" Asked the Black Prince as he extended his arm and displayed the blade of the Black Empire before Azshara and his champions.<br/>Naga Queen's eyes flickered upon the sight of the curved dagger and recognition dawned on her face; Lorga immediately caught the sight of the Queen's expression and turned to Wrathion to ask in a hostile manner:<br/>"Where did you find that blade?"</p><p>But the dragon ignored the Farseer glare and her cold voice. No matter the kind of answer he would give to Lorga, the orc would remain skeptical; of that - Wrathion was certain. Instead, the Black Prince remained with his attention fixed upon Azshara, who now had a surly smile on her black lips.<br/>With the corner of his eye, Wrathion noticed Felassan taking a step closer to him to examine the blade, but then the Illidari swiftly took a couple of steps back. It seemed even a ferocious demon hunter such as Felassan felt unease at the presence of this particular dagger; which only increased Wrathion curiosity for the item.</p><p>"Listen closely, as I will only say this once:" Began Queen Azshara wearily. "For all his bluster, N'Zoth was <em>ever </em>the weakest of his kin. The blade is the only vestige of the Old Gods power left, which can be turned against him." She pressed her lips thinly against one another, then shot a glare to Wrathion's champions as she said: "I would have driven that blade into his foul heart myself, had the pathetic soldiers of the Horde and the Alliance not disrupted my plans!" Realizing she was becoming yet again agitated and spoke with haste, Azshara halted to inhale a deep breath before she could resume, but she was interrupted by Wrathion:</p><p>"So my assumption was correct." Muttered Wrathion while glancing down at the dagger in his hand and thinking back to the conversation he had with King Phaoris and Speaker Magni regarding this weapon. The Diamond King was adamant that this weapon will be to no use, that it can be harnessed for destruction of good but not evil. And yet, the Black Prince believed that the power of the Black Empire itself could be exploited as a weapon against N'Zoth; and Wrathion was relieved that he trusted his own instincts.</p><p>"How can this dagger harm the Corruptor?" Inquired Felassan skeptically.<br/>"The void has a mind of its own." Replied the Queen in riddles. "And all it cares about is simply consuming, even if it means devouring its own kind."<br/>The demon hunters brows frowned deeply, feeling unease at that concept. He felt the need to take another step back, while once again glancing upon the blade in Wrathion's hand.</p><p>"You are saying that the dagger will consume N'Zoth power out of him." Theorized Rehgar out-loud, unlike his mate, the gladiator orc was felt inquisitive at that thought. Lorga however, remained somewhat unconvinced; her glare was enough to indicate that the Farseer felt dubious.<br/>"Well that doesn't sound so bad." Shrugged Caradin. "It means we have two weapons at our disposal!"<br/>"And we shall put both of them to use." Declared Wrathion firmly while gripping the dagger.<br/><br/>"Good." Nodded Queen Azshara. "Strike true; and should your first blow fail - you will <em>not </em>survive to attempt another." She licked her lips and then flapped her arms agitatedly, the sound of the chains echoed in the chamber. "Now release me! I have provided you aid more than any mortal could ask for!"</p><p>Silence and hesitation followed after the Queen's command. Wrathion glanced around to witness everyone's dull and dubious expressions regarding liberating Azshara; someone who is behind so many, if not all, atrocities which transpired upon Azeroth.<br/>And yet, if the Queen's words were in fact the truth - and she truly planned on killing N'Zoth - then she would also be redeemed in the eyes of some souls. The fact that Azshara provided Wrathion with the knowledge of how to truly slay the Corruptor, was a sign that even the naga queen desired to see the Old Gods wiped away from the Azeroth.</p><p>"We are not releasing you, Azshara." Declared Felassan while shaking his head.<br/>"We are." Intervened Lorga.<br/>"What?" The demon hunter gritted his teeth towards the shaman. Clearly, the Illidari felt bitter at the naga queen for what she has done to his people, albeit he has never shared his opinion on the matter.<br/><br/>"She gave us information which aids us in battle for the price of her freedom." Iterated Farseer calmly. "It is unhonorable to not fulfill our part of the bargain."<br/>"There was no bargain extended to begin with!" Argued the demon hunter.<br/>"Time does not allow us to fight between each other, Felassan." Scolded the Black Prince while taking a step closer to the Illidari. "We liberate Azshara and resume with our plan."</p><p>A muscle in Felassan's jaw twitched; the demon hunter loathed that the dragon was correct. Time was of the essence, N'Zoth was pushing his forces relentlessly. He wanted to convince his companions to at least leave Azshara in shackles and deal with her after the Deep One has been slain.<br/>The notion that they had to be honorable towards Azshara was absurd to him, but he saw in everyone's eyes, including Caradin's - that he was the only one who thought so, hence he bit his tongue.</p><p>A small chuckle left Azshara's lips. She watched with enthusiasm and pride as the demon hunter succumbed to the dragon's words. He alongside Caradin proceeded to remove Azshara's chains; despite the intensified, rage-filled glare the Illidari had directed towards her.</p><p>"Do we believe her?" Inquired Lorga quietly while turning to Wrathion. It seemed although she elected to free the naga Queen, the shaman still remained uncertain if she made the right choice. "All of this could be an act."<br/>"I doubt N'Zoth would assign his best warlocks to torture Azshara for '<em>an act'</em>," Surmised Wrathion in a whisper. "Azshara would never agree to perform such a play." He glanced down at the blade one more time before once again sheathing it in the inner pocket of his coat.</p><p>Once the chains were stripped off from her, Azshara exhaled in relief. As if a heavy weight was lifted off her. She took a moment to recuperate, exhaling and inhaling deeply and loudly, waiting to feel the arcane essence returning in her.<br/>She almost purred when she felt the tips of her fingers warming up to the sensation of the magical essence surging through her body once more.<br/>Then, Queen Azshara did not wait a second longer; she desired to leave this filthy place behind as swiftly as she could, letting the mortals deal with N'zoth and save their precious pathetic world.</p><p>With whatever strength she still had left, Azshara opened her four sets of arms as widely as possible. The tips of her scaled fingers began lighting up in a violet shade and she shut her eyes.<br/>But she swiftly opened them to gaze upon Wrathion; she gave the dragon a teasing smile as she purred:<br/>"Do kill N'Zoth for me." Pleaded the Queen in an almost giggle-like tone, before resuming to channel her teleportation spell.</p><p>Gradually, Azshara's body began vanishing. Starting from her tentacles, a wave of purple magic made its way higher, leaving a trail of violet dust behind. It wasn't too long until Queen Azshara completely vanished before Wrathion and the others; most likely disappearing somewhere in the safety of the deep waters.</p><p>As soon as Queen Azshara was gone, silence made its presence in the chamber. Wrathion began glancing around, examining the broken walls, ceiling and floors of the temple; pools of cultists' blood were seen from underneath the deceased Vexiona, and more corpses were seen scattered on the stairs and higher platforms. The sight was almost like a gruesome graveyard, and it made Wrathion's lips curl in disgust.</p><p>But the Black Prince's attention towards the view was lost, when he heard the sound of a man growling. He turned his head to witness Felassan plunging one of his warglaives into Vexiona's stomach, seemingly to cool off his anger of letting Azshara go.</p><p>"I am not fond of releasing Azshara either." Confessed Lorga, picking up on the demon hunter's frustration. "But she is too weakened to cause any harm to anyone. The right time will come, and we will slay her as well." Reassured the Farseer.<br/>"I know." Nodded Felassan followed by a heavy sigh. "It is simply… Azshara is the reason for so many… <em>everything </em>that doomed the kaldorei race; and I had her chained before me. I may have forgotten what it is like to be kaldorei - but that does not mean I do not wish to avenge them."</p><p>Felassan paused, to retrieve his weapon from the flesh of the dead dragon. He pulled out his warglaive, spilling the black blood of the twilight beast on his breeches and on the ground. Everyone silently watched Felassan, shaking away his bloodied warglaives, to get rid of some of the pouring blood.<br/>He lifted his head, albeit it did not seem due to his black blindfold, it seemed the Illidari was looking at Lorga.</p><p>"Would you have been so eager to liberate Gul'dan from chains, Farseer?" Inquired Felassan darkly. Lorga swallowed heavily at his question. She understood how the demon-infused kaldorei felt and it left her a bitter taste in her mouth. Ultimately - Lorga did not know how to answer the demon hunter's question.</p><p>Wrathion found himself glaring at the group as soon as he took notice of a shorter number of his champions.<br/>"You are missing people." Declared the black dragon in a scolding tone. "Tieria; and the other paladins, as well as Haliki. Where are they?" He inhaled sharply once he mentioned the name of his dear templar.</p><p>Caradin glanced around, he blinked rapidly as he remembered how the mentioned individuals became separated.<br/>"Xanesh summoned a giant fiend which dragged 'em into another room!" Explained the dwarf.<br/>"They cannot be still fighting, can they? We would have heard something by now." Mentioned Rehgar.</p><p>Neither of them waited to ponder upon Rehgar's question; The gladiator-shaman gestured to the large gap on the side of the wall which led to another chamber. The silence breaking out from there formed knots into their stomachs.<br/>All five of them: Lorga, Rehgar, Caradin, Felassan and Wrathion, ran together into that chamber to find Maxwell resting against the broken wall at the of the room, and with Haliki kneeling to his side. Warm, green essence was surging from Haliki's right hand, which was pressed against Maxwell's bleeding abdomen. It seemed he was attempting to heal the wounded paladin after the battle.</p><p>The Zandalari druid's eyes widened in both surprise and relief upon the sight of his companions. He watched as they carefully approached them, walking haltingly through the broken floor which had an unnumbered amount of gaps.</p><p>Lorga knelt down before Maxwell, examining the paladin's bleeding shoulder and abdomen. Cuts were seen on his legs, chest, and even face. He coughed blood and had difficulty breathing.<br/>Silently, the Farseer reached out to touch Haliki's hand; without words she commanded the druid to cease from healing.</p><p>Haliki listened to the Farseer without hesitation. He retracted his hand, and began watching Lorga removing her gauntlets. Once her hands were exposed, she shut her eyes, and murmured to the elements of the waters to come to her aid. Clear drops of water began forming in her green hands; they wrapped themselves around palms like perfectly matched gloves.<br/>With utmost tenderness, Lorga rested her hands above Maxwell's stomach; the Silver Hand knight hissed in pain at first, but then his muscle began visibly relaxing at the sensation of clean, healing waters caressing his deeply cut stomach.</p><p>"We were losin' against de c'thraxxi." Began to explain Haliki, his blue eyes still remaining to gaze upon Lorga healing Maxwell. "But den - it be vanished in thin air."<br/>"I killed Xanesh. Her death must have caused their summon creature to evaporate." Assumed Lorga, while looking down at the paladin's wound.<br/>"Tieria." Said Wrathion firmly, while looking down upon Maxwell and Haliki with a grim gaze. He blinked rapidly when he saw no sight of the templar "Where is she?"</p><p>Maxwell and Haliki exchanged swift glances. The paladin released a loud sigh, unclear if it was due to his wounds or the words Haliki was about to say:<br/>"We… we lost them…"<br/>"<em>Lost</em> them?!" Repeated Wrathion in a growl.<br/>"They were right behind us! Ugh..." Explained Maxwell before hissing again from the pain of his wound. "Tieria and Niall were behind us, keeping away the small void manifestations, while we took care of the large one..." The Silver Hand Knight exhaled loudly, unable to finish his sentence because of the pain.<br/>"We be so focused on de c'thraxxi, we failed to see what happened to 'em." Haliki resumed to explain with guilt clouding his features. "Dey… dey be not went with ye in the other room?"</p><p>Caradin, whose color was drained out of his face upon hearing the news, shook his head agitatedly.<br/>"We would have seen 'em!" The dwarf licked his lips and then once again examined the room. Rapidly he looked for any signs or clues which might explain what happened to Tieria and Niall; then his eyes rested on the gaps on the floor. "Ye don't think…"</p><p>Wrathion turned to look at what Caradin had his attention to. He instantly understood that the dwarf was thinking that Tieria must have fallen through one of the openings and descended into the desert.<br/>He felt his heart beating with dread and his soul filling with anger. The dragon drew in a sharp breath while running his fingers through his locks, carefully thinking over his next steps. In the meantime, he heard Rehgar speaking:</p><p>"He is in no shape to fight." Grunted the gladiator-orc while shaking his head at Maxwell. "Or even walk."<br/>"I know…" Coughed the paladin weakly. His eye shined with regret for failing Tieria and Niall, and for winding up in such a bad state.<br/>"I be takin' him back ta Ramkahen City." Offered Haliki while resting his hand on Maxwell's shoulder.<br/>"Take him to the healing camp outside the borders of the city." Suggested Lorga while ceasing her healing spell by curling her fingers into a fist. "Our boy will bring him back to his feet."</p><p>"I have to admit… I did not expect this from an orc." Confessed Maxwell weakly, while attempting to form a small smile on his bleeding lips. Lorga and Rehgar released a dry chuckle.<br/>"Times change." Replied Lorga simply.</p><p>"I will scout the area for Tieria… and Niall." Intervened Wrathion in-between the conversation. "We cannot afford losing any more people, especially with Maxwell injured and Haliki leaving to transport him."<br/>"I be comin' back!" Reassured Haliki to which Wrathion shook his head.<br/>"It is still not enough. We will need more to cut through the citadel N'Zoth lies in."<br/>"We're comin' with ye fer the search." Addressed Caradin while motioning his head toward Felassan who was eagerly shaking his head. Wrathion's eyes narrowed once more as he gazed upon the Argent Crusade sergeant and the demon hunter.</p><p>"No, I will fly faster without carrying anyone on my back. You four will install the anchors now that the battle is over and then reunite with Magni." Commanded Wrathion firmly, he saw hesitation in Caradin's eyes, but after receiving a nudge from Felassan, the dwarf gave a nod to Wrathion. "I will search for her- them by myself, and reunite with you shortly."<br/>"So this is it?" Asked Lorga rhetorically while lifting herself up to be on the same eye-level with Wrathion. "We install the anchors then charge towards the large temple-"<br/><br/>"Then M.O.T.H.E.R can locate us and use the Forge to damage N'Zoth." Wrathion interrupted, his brows were snapped together and he had a grim look on his dapper face.<br/>"And you finish off the Corruptor by driving that blade into His heart." Concluded the Farseer to which the dragon replied with a nod.</p><p>"We are close to finishing this." Declared Lorga firmly. "<em>Once and for all."</em></p><hr/><p>The skies continued to be darkened by the silhouette of the numerous insectoids. It was unclear where they materialized from, but they were countless; nonetheless, to Wrathion's luck they were also weak, and he could simply eradicate them with the simplest breath of fire or thrash of tail.</p><p>The Black Prince flew as low and high as he could, hoping to find Tieria or at least something which would indicate her whereabouts. But he had to admit - he did not know what to anticipate.<br/>Given what Maxwell and Haliki had told him, Tieria could have not simply vanished in thin air, and instead must have fallen from the temple grounds due to the earthquake caused by the k'thraxx.</p><p>If that was the case, Wrathion would have found some remains of the broken templar on the sands of the Uldum - but he didn't. Which led the dragon to theorize that the paladin must have succeeded in surviving the fall by forming a defense shield of the Light, and marched on to reunite with the team.</p><p>Given that Ny'alotha was accessible only through an aerial mount, Tieria must have returned to Ramkahen City or any other encampment to acquire a gryphon to take her to the skies. Hence, Wrathion flew practically throughout the entirety of Uldum, searching for his templar. He refused to think of the state she <em>might </em>be in - he simply wanted to find Tieria, one way or another.</p><p>Throughout the entire time - he heard the call of the Corruptor. N'Zoth relentlessly continued to whisper to the dragon, making it difficult for him to concentrate. He lost track of time, unable to tell for how long he flew aimlessly through the desert. But enough time has passed for Lorga and the others to succeed installing the anchors and reunite with Speaker Magni.</p><p>"<em>The Light has struck a bargain with the enemy of all." </em>Muttered the Deep One; and those words triggered Wrathion. He found himself lowering, until he could stand on the edge of the hill and rest his wings. With a hastened breath, Wrathion gazed upon the Black Empire infested Uldum.</p><p>The desert was dark and cold. Screams in the background, cannons being fired, spells being channeled, roars of insectoids ever echoed on the ancient sands, alongside with the Old God's sinister laugh. This could be the fate of Azeroth if Wrathion will not put a stop to it <em>now</em>, and yet - he could only think of the paladin who had recently captured his heart.</p><p>"<em>Where are you, Tieria?"</em> Thought Wrathion to himself. His nostrils flared in anger, the cold air of once sun-burning desert caused him to shiver and release another growl in irritation. His eyes directed themselves towards the large temple on the horizon; the citadel where N'Zoth unmistakably lied in; anger filled his soul by simply gazing upon that construction.</p><p>He should put an end to this, then look for Tieria. The dragon kept on telling himself so, and yet his body refused to lift himself off the hill. <em>Why </em>was this so hard? What was the fear in his heart which made him so hesitant?</p><p>Wrathion blinked into reality upon witnessing an explosion occurring on the platform which led to the citadel. The dragon growled while watching smoke and dust enveloping that area. Something must have triggered that explosion or <em>someone</em>.<br/>The Black Prince hissed in displeasure when he thought it might be his champions. Perhaps they have finally reunited with Magni and are charging towards the citadel. If that was the case, and the explosion was directed towards them - all of them could be severely harmed or worse; hence he felt obligated to witness it closer.</p><p>The black dragon spread his wings once more and flew towards the citadel. From afar, Wrathion already took notice of the mass of Black Empire minions standing in defense, blocking the path which led to their master.</p><p>As the dragon approached, the wind caused by his wings sped up the process of the smoke clearing out. His assumption was correct: he found his companions, as well as Speaker Magni, his Blacktalon and the Iceborne dwarves, laying on the floor, and fortunately - they were still breathing. In order to give them a moment to recover from the shock, Wrathion positioned himself before them, acting as a shield against the army of N'Zoth.</p><p>"<em>Welcome to my domain… Children of Azeroth…"</em></p><p>Smoke and dust finally vanished, completely clearing the view before the Black Prince and his champions. An endless number of all the servants of the Black Empire stood before them in an organized line-up. The k'thir were in front, followed by the ground aqir and the large tank insectoids and finally, five massive c'thraxxi stood behind the army and two large void hounds on the side.<br/>But the most shocking aspect of that particular formation - was the slim figure who stood in front of the mass of the Black Empire soldiers.</p><p>A human female cladded in gold-matte and silver armor, carrying a longsword.</p><p>Tieria stood before them with a sinister, almost emotionless expression. Her skin was stripped away from her soft ivory shade, accentuating her protruded veins. Her dark brown hair was drenched, causing drops of water to dribble down on her shoulders and feet.</p><p>Her left shoulderpad was missing, as well as the left gauntlet. Even a portion of her chest piece had the left part ripped apart, exposing her bare shoulder and arm. Instead of armor, the templar's bare skin was covered in a dark violet, tree-root shaped flesh. It pulsated out of her left side of her chest, seemingly out of her own heart, and it extended around her wrist, whilst also making its way up to her left shoulder before wrapping itself around her neck, and finally stretching towards her pale cheek.</p><p>The devilish flesh seemed to also be the reason for her left eyes altering its appearance. It did not look human, or elven, or even akin to any other race on Azeroth. The eye of N'Zoth; the bright blood orange, all-seeing eye, rested in her left socket. Causing her glare to be even more intimidating.</p><p>She stood there, Unblinking and not breathing, glaring at her once-companions while holding tightly her longsword in her hand. Behind her, the army of N'Zoth stood prepared; as if…</p><p>
  <em>As if they were waiting for </em>
  <em>
    <strong>her </strong>
  </em>
  <em>command.</em>
</p><p>"No…" Wrathion breathed. The overwhelming feeling surging through him forced the dragon to assume his mortal form. He began taking a heavy step forward. "No… <em>No</em>!" His last cry was loud enough to catch the others attention but it seemed everyone's eyes were upon Tieria as they ignored Wrathion whose breath hastened.</p><p>Felassan and Caradin ran to stand next to Wrathion, while Lorga, Rehgar and Magni remained behind. All of them watched in horror the army of the Black Empire; their blood ran cold and some of them felt already defeated. The sight before them was a sight out of nightmares; no mortal army could withstand and cut through that formation.</p><p>And while that aspect was frightening enough, seeing Tieria - their companion and one who formed the crusade to fight against N'Zoth - leading the army of the one she swore to defeat, brought indescribable horror to Wrathion and the others.</p><p>"That cannot be her… Can it?" Whimpered Caradin while looking up at Wrathion. Tears filled his blue eyes at the frightening sight of Tieria. Wrathion remained in silence and shock, while gazing upon the templar. He found himself shaking his head lightly, refusing to believe that what he was witnessing was in fact reality.<br/>"You lost her… to the Old God." Breathed out the dragon, thinking back at how Maxwell and Haliki declared that '<em>they lost her'.</em></p><p>Almost mechanical-like, Tieria extended her right arm forward. Wisps of void magic began emerging from her open palm; gradually the spell grew bigger, alongside with the growling sound it emitted.<br/>It didn't take too long for Wrathion, as well as the others to realize it was Tieria who was behind the massive explosions; and she was about to cast a second one.</p><p>As the spell flew into their direction, everyone dodged by leaping to the side; however, they were still thrown in the air once the void blast hit with the ground.<br/>Dust entered Wrathion's lungs, causing the dragon to cough out heavily. He forced himself to once again rise on his feet, and briefly glanced around to view the state of his champions.<br/>Slightly shocked but yet whole, everyone got up, some slower than the others and already unsheathing their weapons for yet another battle which was about to erupt.</p><p>"<em>Accept your defeat... And hail my Empire..."</em></p><p>Once again Wrathion gazed upon Tieria, ignoring the Old God's absurd premise. Time seemed to stop and he forgot how to breathe. The dragon felt as if his chest was cut open and his own heart ripped out. He could not begin to understand how this occurred… <em>How </em>did the Old God succeed to place his devious claws on <em>her</em>?<br/>And it was frightening to witness the fact that Tieria, a knight of the Holy Light, now possessed the ability to control void magic. He did not wish to think the torture or ritual N'Zoth has put her through, to inflict the essence of the void into the paladin.</p><p>Seemingly, Tieria was not satisfied to witness that everyone had dodged her spell unharmed, as the paladin began channeling cast once again.<br/>"I won't allow you!" Screamed Felassan. He charged, and leaped with his warglaives towards Tieria, silencing the corrupted templar from casting her spell. Her eyes widened from the brief flash of the Illidari rushing towards her, but she swiftly caught up to what was happening.</p><p>She ceased her spell and readied her sword; their blades clashed into each other. Tieria remained silent, without any form of expression visible on her face. The templar dueled Felassan as if she did not recognize him; she was harsh and aggressive, determined to strike down the demon hunter.</p><p>With Felassan and Tieria dueling, the army of N'Zoth marched towards Wrathion and the others. The Iceborne dwarves leaped once again on their proto-drakes and took charge to fight off the large insectoids and the void hounds, while the Blacktalon agents took up to fight off the k'thir. The icy frost blasts of the proto-drakes which were casted down upon the army of N'Zoth, bought Wrathion and the others some time.</p><p>"We do not have to fight all of them!" Cried out Rehgar while generating a lavablast into his hands. He threw the magma ball into a k'thir before turning to address Magni. "We need a path to the citadel!"<br/>The Speaker of Azeroth gave a nod to the gladiator-shaman while crushing an aqir with his mace Fearbraker. He turned to look at Wrathion, who still remained frozen in his place, watching Tieria and Felassan clashing their weapons against one another.</p><p>Overhearing their conversation, Lorga assumed her spirit wolf form and rushed towards Wrathion. She leaped before the dragon, and once she was once again in her natural form, the orc placed her hands on the dragon's shoulders, shaking him to bring him to reality.<br/>"<em>Wrathion!" </em>Yelled Lorga to the Black Prince. "We cannot hold this battle for long! You and Magni need to fly above the citadel and command M.O.T.H.E.R to launch the weapon. Then <em>you </em>strike him with the dagger and <em>end it!</em>"</p><p>Wrathion nodded at the Farseer, but her words fell to death's ears. His mind was only filled with two thoughts: blocking out N'Zoth's call and the corrupted Tieria. But it seemed that the shaman was convinced by the Black Prince's silent nod.<br/>"We will hold them back as long as we can." Promised the orc. "Don't fail Azeroth."<br/>Although Wrathion did not soak in Lorga's approach, he did record one particular word in his mind.</p><p>
  <em>The dagger.</em>
</p><p><em>"The dagger will consume N'Zoth power out of him."</em> Rehgar's theory echoed in the black dragon's mind. Wrathion reached out to the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out Xal'atath. Grimly he looked down upon the blade of the Black Empire. This weapon is meant to put an end to all of this; release Azeroth from the grasp of the Old God once and for all. He could achieve it with the small dagger which he held in his hand.</p><p>And yet.</p><p>N'zoth dying did not mean all of his minions would be freed from his mind-control. If anything - they would cease to exist alongside their Master. Every k'thir, n'raqi, even twilight dragon, would be wiped away from the face of the earth, just like Ny'alotha… and even every mortal cultist who is now using the power of the Corruptor.</p><p>
  <em>Including Tieria.</em>
</p><p>The Black Prince tightened the grip of Xal'atath as that thought crossed his mind. Time seemed to have stopped while he analyzed every outcome of this situation. He inhaled sharply while lifting his gaze once more upon Tieria. And while gazing upon the templar, Wrathion could only think of how he let this happen. Could have this been avoided if he has not chased after Vexiona?</p><p>Ultimately, Wrathion knew what had to be done.</p><p>He assumed his dragon form, and roared in the sky. Then Wrathion charged towards the gates on the temple, while attempting to throw off the platform as many N'Zoth fiends as possible either with a slam of his tail and the winds of his wings.<br/>The black dragon flew low, he grabbed Tieria between his claws, whisking her away from the platform and interrupting her duel with Felassan.</p><p>While holding the templar, Wrathion breathed down fire as long as his body allowed him; searing away the minions which blocked the entry to the citadel and clearing a path for Magni and his champions. The damage of his fire did not kill many fiends, but it was enough to force some of them to flee inside the temple.<br/>With the platform clear, Wrathion tossed Tieria unto the ground once again. The paladin fell on her back, grunting and dropping her sword.</p><p>As Tieria was getting up on her feet, Wrathion assumed his mortal form. He glared coldly at the templar who seemed to be hardly affected by the tossing. She blinked at him mutely, with the hilt of the sword once again resting tightly in her hand. The once-paladin did not recognize the dragon, and that did not surprise Wrathion. He was well aware that any words spoken from his part would not trigger Tieria to reality.</p><p>Wrathion felt a knot forming to his stomach once he made eye-contact with Tieria. Everything he adored about her physique; from her shining brown eyes, her pink lips ever smiling softly at him, her delicate facial features - all of them were stripped away and replaced by an ugly manifestation who served N'zoth.</p><p>A manifestation which pained Wrathion to look at.</p><p>The Black Prince grabbed Tieria's wrist which held her sword, with his entire strength he held it down for as long as he could. With his other hand, he gripped Xal'atath and lifted it above her.<br/>Determination and pain filled his heavy heart. In one move, Wrathion buried Xal'atath into Tieria's chest. He wanted to shut his eyes, but he couldn't, for he did not wish to risk the fact that Tieria might swiftly recover from the shock of being stabbed.</p><p>But she didn't. Wrathion watched unblinking as Tieria began reacting to the inserted blade by coughing out blood and widening her eyes. Wrathion remained burying the blade in her chest; bright light began emitting from her wound, and it was so bright that at last, Wrathion had to shut his eyes.<br/>His hand trembled but he remained unmoved, and kept the blade of the Black Empire plunged into his beloved templar. Tieria's only reaction was screaming her lungs out from the pain, she dropped her sword and fell on her knees; her head remained pulled back as she continued to yell in agony.</p><p>Wrathion lowered himself on her level, he gritted his teeth and kept his eyes shut. He did not wish to look at the view, instead he filled his mind of the image of Tieria smiling at him. The soft, welcoming smile she gave him after he woke up from N'Zoth's vision, on the night when they kissed for the first time.</p><p>But Tieria's scream of agony echoing in the Black Prince's ears shattered away the image of his beautiful templar...</p>
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